One Hundred Chances
by Fated-Shadows
Summary: Everyone has a story. Some have one hundred. A writing challenge for Yami no YugixYugi - a series of 100 one-shots.
1. At twilight: General, G

**Notes about the overall challenge in general:** These are being written for the 100 Chances Writing Challenge on LiveJournal. _This is not a chapter fic. _Each chapter is a different theme, thus a different story. If one is a sequel to an older fic, I'll mention it at the top before you read it, so that you can refer back to the prequel if you would like.

The challenge is for Yami no Yugi x Yugi, so every theme will involve them in some way. For names for the spirit of the Puzzle, I'll often switch between 'Yami,' 'Atemu,' and 'Mou hitori no boku' depending on what mood I'm in or the subject of the fic.

Genres, ratings, settings, length, canon or AU, and other pairings will all change depending on the theme and fic. Ratings will range from G-R, hence the M rating (so that I'm covered). I'll include the genre and rating info in the chapter headings and at the top of the chapter so that way you can decide if it's one you want to read or not. Each chapter has a summary at the top as well.

Comments and reviews of the stories of course are welcomed and appreciated!

* * *

**Theme:** 001- At twilight; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** General  
**Parings:** Yami no Yugi x Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** It was a stupid superstition, but it was still worth trying.

* * *

"I don't suppose you know anything about trigonometry, do you?" Yugi asked hopefully, looking over his shoulder toward the see-through projection of his other self. The spirit was gazing determinedly out his skylight at the darkening sky. "Mou hitori no boku?"

"Hmn?" He tore his eyes away. "Yes Aibou?"

"Trig homework? Help?"

"You _are_ joking, I assume."

Yugi sighed. "I should have known. Go back to star gazing."

"The stars aren't out yet."

"Then what are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

Shaking his head, Yugi decided not to pry. Puzzling over the spirit's interest in a starless twilight sky wasn't going to get his homework done any faster.

His other self remained focused on celestial matters. Moments later he spotted it, the first visible star of the night. Checking quickly over his shoulder to make sure Yugi was absorbed in his studies, he focused on the star.

It was a silly modern-day superstition, but he had nothing to lose by putting his faith in it…and everything to gain.

_I wish he would see me…that he would love me the way…that I love him._

* * *

**Notes:** Those who have read my fics on my writing journal might've noticed that this is VERY similar to a past fic. That's not an accident. xD This is meant to be a kind of side-along with _Wishes_, in which Yugi's the one doing the wishing. Now, it turns out, Yami is secretly wishing for the same thing. (**ETA:** apparently I cannot include links in the fic itself. Please refer to my profile page, where I will link any relevent fics.)

It's cheesy, I know, but it seemed cute when I had the idea. ._.;


	2. In dreary times: Serious&Angst, PG, AU

**Theme:** 002- In dreary times; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Serious/angst  
**Parings:** Yami x Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** When tragedy strikes, sometimes all you need is someone to be there.  
**Note:** This is sort of, but not entirely meant to be a sequel to Lilies. (check the "Relevent Fics" section of my profile page for the link.) You don't _have_ to read that one to understand this one, but several small details in this one will make more sense if you do.

* * *

It was the second class in a row that Yami's chair sat empty. As the last few stragglers slunk in and the professor began his lecture, Yugi found himself staring at the vacant desk, almost as if by pure mental force he could magic Yami from wherever he was to appear there.

_I don't understand. Yami never misses class! Where is he?_

Perhaps he was panicking prematurely; Yami might just have a cold and not be able to make it to class. But the night before, when he'd called Yami to ask if he wanted Yugi to copy his notes from Monday for him, the call hadn't even gone through. He'd double and triple-checked the number, but every time he just got the same dull, disconnected beep.

Now, as he looked back at Yami's empty chair, he knew something wasn't right. Without even thinking, he shoved his books into his backpack and rose to his feet.

"Mutou-"

"I'm sorry professor…I…don't feel well," he interrupted hurriedly, sprinting for the door. He didn't stop as he left the college, in fact he only ran faster, ignoring the people he was pushing past.

_Something's wrong. If he was just sick, he would have let me know._

Coming to a panting halt at the front of the florists', he pushed the door open and weaved his way through the maze to the front desk, where Karui, (the girl who, Yami told him, ran the store when he was away), looked up in shock.

Doubled over, Yugi tried to catch his breath. Karui hurried to his side. "Are you okay? Do you need any help?"

"I'm…I'm fine. I just…came to see Yami."

Her eyes flicked inadvertently towards the ceiling for a split second before she said, uncomfortably, "He's not here."

"What do you mean he's not here?!"

"He's out of town. A seminar for small business owners."

Yugi frowned. "He never said anything to me about going out of town this week!"

Karui was confused. "Why would Atemu-san tell you his plans?" Then her eyes widened. "Oh…you're _Mutou-san_?!"

"Yes." Yugi figured Yami must have told her about him.

Again, her eyes went to the ceiling before she said, "I…um…"

Yugi cut her off. "He's here, isn't he?"

She bit her lip, words tumbling out. "I'm so sorry…I don't think Atemu-san ever meant for me to have to lie to _you_…"

"Karui, what's going on?"

Looking guilty, she murmured, "It's…it's Atemu-san's sister. She was killed in a car wreck on Sunday."

Yugi felt his heart stall. His mind raced, and he found himself saying the only thing he could think of. "I…didn't even know he had a sister."

"She is…was…several years younger than Atemu-san, she still lived with their parents. His family told him there was no point in him traveling up right now, the wake won't be until next week. He called me Monday morning and asked me to come take over for a few days, he told me to tell everyone that he was going out of town, and not to tell anybody what happened. He hasn't come out of his apartment since."

"Poor Yami…" Yugi swallowed. "How terrible."

"I really don't think he ever meant to lie to you. He's just so shaken up right now, he probably didn't realize..."

"I know, it's okay." He struggled to focus. "Could I…go up and see him?"

"You can try. He won't answer the door for me. But if you could get him to talk to you, it might really help…"

Yugi was about to head for the stairs when he paused. "Wait, could I check the computer for something first?"

"Um, sure." She stood back, puzzled.

Ten minutes later, Yugi knocked softly on the door to Yami's apartment. When he received no answer, he tried again and this time called out, "Yami…it's me. Yugi."

Behind the door he heard hesitant footsteps, and then the click of the lock. The door cracked open.

"Yugi…?"

"Yeah…can I come in?"

Without answering, Yami stepped back and held the door open. Yugi stepped inside, not saying a word. Yami turned, keeping his eyes averted from Yugi's gaze as he motioned at the couch, murmuring, "Would you…like to sit down?"

"Sure, thank you." Yugi sat, Yami sitting beside him. Yugi didn't know how to start, so he was glad when Yami spoke up, his voice hoarse.

"I suppose…you know what happened."

"Karui told me."

"I'm sorry…I should have told you myself."

"No, you've had a lot on your mind. It's okay."

Yami glanced over at him. "You brought me my own flowers again, I see."

"Oh…well, yes…" Yugi held out the bouquet. A weak hint of a smile crossed Yami's lips as he took the flowers and held them in his lap.

"Interesting choice…jonquils," he said softly.

"Huh?"

"It usually…means you wish for someone to return your affection. But you know I already do."

"Oh…I read online that it can mean 'sympathy.'" Yugi blushed, and hurried ahead. "Um…but I also included yarrow, which means 'cure for heartache,' and poppies, which mean 'consolation.' And the rest are just flowers I know you like."

Yami's lower lip suddenly trembled and he quickly raised his hand to wipe his eyes, standing up. "Yugi…thank you. I should…put these in water."

Yugi watched as he got out a vase and filled it with water at the kitchen sink. He bit his lip. He was doing nothing to console him like this! "Yami…I'm so sorry about your sister." He finally said quietly. "I don't know what else to say. If there's…anything I can do, anything at all, just tell me."

Yami shook his head, arranging the flowers and setting them in the middle of the countertop. "You don't need to do anything."

"I know that, but I _want_ to do something. Anything you need, tell me. Someone to talk to, the notes from school, a hug…anything."

Yami slowly sat back down on the couch beside him, his bright irises trained on the vase of flowers. "I'm not…I don't think I feel like talking about it yet."

"I understand, that's okay."

"And the notes…will be helpful down the line, I appreciate it. But not right now."

"Of course, I'll copy them and keep them safe till you want them."

"But…" He paused, then looked up at last, his eyes full of tears. "I think…a hug…"

Yugi looked back gently, feeling a lump in his throat, then he scooted closer and wrapped his arms around him. "All yours."

Shaking, Yami burrowed against Yugi's chest, clinging to the front of his shirt. "Y…Yugi..."

Yugi rubbed his back gently. "It's okay."

"It's not fair. She was so young. I don't understand _why_…"

Yugi said nothing, holding him quietly. Yami didn't relinquish his hold on him till over an hour later, when, out of tears, he simply buried his damp face in the crook of Yugi's neck and whispered, his voice sounding alive for the first time during the visit, "Thanks for coming here."

Smiling softly, Yugi kissed his forehead. "Do you want me to leave now?"

"No…stay. Please stay. Is that okay?"

He hugged him tightly. "It's perfectly okay."

* * *

**Notes:** Iunno...the idea of Yugi trying to cheer Yami up with flowers just made me happy. x3


	3. Before then: Humour&Fluff, G, AUish

**Theme:** 003- Before then, but after that; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Humour/fluff  
**Parings:** Yami x Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU-ish  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Yugi knew it wasn't nice to tease, but sometimes he couldn't resist.  
**Note:** This is a follow-up to my fic, _Promises_. (Check the "Relevent Fics" section of my profile page for the link to it.)

* * *

Yami put the finishing touches on the final 'u' in 'Mutou' and then stood back to admire his handiwork. "Okay Yugi, your name is on the mailbox." He rested the brush on the rim of the paint can and put one arm around his lover's shoulders, pulling him playfully close. "I think that makes your moving in official."

Yugi beamed, hugging him back, smiling at the box. "Yami Atemu and Yugi Mutou. It's perfect."

"I'm glad you think so." Yami kissed his forehead, earning another giggly smile.

"So what's next on the agenda?" Yugi finally asked.

"I don't know. Lunch maybe? We've been unpacking boxes all morning--"

"No, I mean our relationship's agenda."

"Er…what?" Yami asked.

"Well, you're the one that was getting all worried about steps. Now that we're at the moving in step, what's next? Engagement?"

"Oh…I suppose."

"Then marriage, obviously."

"Yeah…"

"How many years do you have to be together before you do vow renewals?" Yugi asked thoughtfully.

"Um…I don't know...?" Then Yami spotted the gleam in Yugi's eye. "…You're teasing me, aren't you?"

Yugi laughed. "I'm sorry Yami, you just take everything so seriously, it's too easy…"

"Hmph." Yami frowned. "I'll have you know I _can_ take a joke."

"Okay, okay. Now back to our list. What about children?"

"Oh, well obviously after marriage," Yami said solemnly, playing along.

"Because you can't bring kids into an unstable family."

"Certainly not!"

"How many should we have?" Yugi said as he hugged his arm. Yami picked up the paint can and they walked back toward the apartment building.

"Depends, will it be adopted or from a surrogate mother?"

"Surrogate. I hope it has your eyes."

"But I want it to have your eyes."

"Then more than one, apparently," Yugi said. He looked up at the apartment thoughtfully. "We'll have to get a bigger place though. A house with a yard."

"Yes, we'll get right on that after the wedding."

"But long before the kids. We'll want to be settled in."

"Yes, definitely. Before the kids, but after the marriage, we'll get a bigger house."

"Perfect." Yugi smiled, nuzzling at his shoulder. "Everything is perfect, Yami. The present, the future…"

Yami blinked. "Hang on…Yugi, were you being serious about children?"

Yugi grinned, letting him go and backing up.

"Wait, you know that I hate kids! I was just playing along with your joke! _Yugi_!"

Laughing, Yugi ran ahead toward the stairs, Yami in hot pursuit, yelling nervously.

Really…sometimes Yami just made it _way_ too easy.

* * *

**Notes:** Yugi's mean. Yami's gullible. xD *hides from them*


	4. The golden year: General, G

**Theme:** 004- The golden year; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** General  
**Parings:** Yami no Yugi x Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** It was far more than just an ordinary day.

* * *

The spirit could sense the change in Yugi's mood the moment he woke up. Something about him seemed happy, extra-cheerful, _giddy_ even.

"So what's so special about today, Aibou?" He inquired as he leaned against the wall and watched Yugi brush his hair. Yugi immediately began brushing faster, struggling not to grin.

"What…what do you mean? It's just a normal day."

"You're oddly happy for just a normal day."

Yugi laughed. "Mou hitori no boku, you're imagining things."

"I am not! I can sense your moods, I can see that you've been happy ever since you woke up. Not that the smile hasn't said it all."

"There's nothing special about it. It just…seems like a nice day out." His cheeks reddened as he set the brush down. His other self peered closer, violet eyes narrowing.

"Aibou, your face-"

"Come on, I don't want to be late for school!" He sprinted from the room, paused downstairs long enough to say good-bye to his mother and grandfather, then hurried to the bus stop.

The spirit sulked beside him during the bus ride. _'Why will you not tell me?'_ He whined through their mind link.

'_Not tell you what?'_

'_You know what! Something about today is making you happy, I want to know what it is.'_

'_Well if it's making me happy then it's nothing to worry about, right?'_

'_Ha! So there is something about today that makes it special.'_

'_Mou hitori no boku…'_

'_I just want to know so that I can share the happiness with you. If something is making you happy, it must be something good.'_

'_I'll tell you later, alright?'_

'_Alright, fine.'_ He sighed and vanished into his soul room as the bus pulled up in front of the school.

Yugi hopped out of the bus and walked toward the school, pausing on his way for a moment to cup the Puzzle in his hands. He smiled at it, thinking back to one year before. Back to a miserable, lonely day where everything seemed hopeless, back to the last day he'd ever walked into the school not wearing the Millennium Puzzle.

Back to the day his whole life changed.

_Happy anniversary, mou hitori no boku._

* * *

**Notes:** I swear Yami's eyes change colour in every fic I write. I'm too lazy to settle on one description between one-shots, so various colours are sprinkled around depending on the story. Well, his eyes change colour in the anime too, so I've got an excuse. u_u I'm glad you guys are enjoying the challenge so far. =)


	5. The beginning: Serious&Introspective, G

**Theme:** 005- In the beginning; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Serious/introspective  
**Parings:** Yami no Yugi x Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** Season 0  
**Summary:** His host was a source of light and warmth. And this person thought he could injure that source? Thought he could injure Yugi?

* * *

"…_Yugi!" _

He didn't recognize the name, but the moment he heard it applied to him, he knew who it must belong to. With his full concentration not needed to handle the man he was there to punish, he turned the name over in his mind, testing it, familiarizing himself with it.

No exact amount of time could be given to how long he'd been unconscious in darkness. He only knew that at some point he had become aware of a connection with another person. He didn't know how long the connection had been there before he became aware, but noticing it had reawakened his abilities of thinking and reasoning.

The other person's soul was gentle and pure, and he had clung to the warmth of it with a need he didn't fully understand. With nothing else around, he fixated on the connection. It took up every thought and became an obsession, crowding his mind with questions of whom it belonged to and why it had been foraged. But his constant attention caused him to notice that, at times, bitterness or pain would creep in and dim its light.

Tonight something had opened between them. He found himself here, overwhelmed by a million sights and sounds and feelings that crashed over him in this loud, constantly-changing place that was so different from his former empty existance. Through the chaos he pulled together one coherent thought. Someone in this world had hurt his other soul.

His eyes narrowed at Ushio, now writhing under the tree, babbling with lunacy. His host was a source of light and warmth. And this person thought he could injure that source?

Thought he could injure _Yugi? _

_He is mine. And you hurt him. _

He walked away quietly, leaving the school grounds and returning to the sidewalk. No further time was wasted on Ushio, he had more important things to return to contemplating. Like his host, the mysterious person he was linked to and apparently sharing a body with…

_I do not know much about him, but I owe him my existence_.

He paused, looking up at the sky, then brought one hand to his chest to feel his heartbeat. His clothes, the fabric comfortable and soft, had been warmed by his body. The madness inside him settled for a moment into quiet introspection, startling himself with his lucidity in the midst of all the new things he was struggling to take in.

Stars, warmth, life…sanity, even. How long had it been since he experienced any of it? Small things, but at the same time, invaluable gifts. All given to him by the person named Yugi.

He lowered his hand and resumed walking, ignoring other people on the sidewalk who invariably hurried away in fear after seeing his feral eyes. He found his thoughts slipping away again until he could only focus on one thing. But, perhaps, it was the only thing really worth focusing on at all.

_And I will destroy anyone who attempts to take his light away._

* * *

**Notes:** Even though in real life possessiveness like this is kind of…bad…it's_ insanely_ fun to explore in writing. (Har har, bad pun is bad...) Besides, Yami was insane at that point, and honestly, psycho evil Yami is kind of a guilty pleasure of mine. I adore his honourable little self, but writing about him when he isn't in full control of himself even more awesome, just because he's so complex. This is part of why I love fanfiction. I love getting to explore the characters, their personalities, to try to get inside their heads the way their creator did, and then put them in situations and see how they would react. My geeky writer's side is showing, but gods, I love characters. They're my favourite part of writing. I almost always create my characters before my plots when I write original fiction. And fanfiction is almost like a way of sitting down with my favourite characters and getting to know them even better, and then to share what I learned with others. (At least, that's what I strive for. I try very hard to write them the same way their creator does, to keep their personalities "IC" even if the fic is an AU. Except of course in crack/humour stories.) And the insane ones are always the most fun...

...Yeah, my geek side is definitely showing. xD Anyhoo, you can base this on either the first chapter of manga or first episode of Season 0, either one would fit. I took some creative license with a few things. ^^;;


	6. Love before time: General, G

**Theme:** 006- Love before time; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** General  
**Parings:** Atemu x Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Somewhere -- he could just feel it -- there was someone his heart was already tied to.

* * *

Kneeling, he spoke to the figure standing quietly at the window: "Pharaoh? May I speak with you?"

Turning away from the window, the man shook his head to the other kneeling before him, sighing. "Mahaado, please, you do not have to kneel every time you see me. I thought we were friends."

"Yes, but you are the Pharaoh now. A servant is supposed to–"

"You are a priest, much more than a common servant. And you were my guardian as a child before you became a priest, but you did not run about bowing and kneeling all the time then," he replied, smiling as he leaned against the windowsill. "I think my becoming pharaoh has gone more to your head than mine."

Mahaado stood, smiling back. "We are not children anymore, Pharaoh. Things have changed."

"Yes…they have." His eyes went back to the night sky. "And they are still changing. I do not need magic of your skill to sense the unrest."

Mahaado paused, and then spoke up tentatively, "Pharaoh, if I may…I have noticed that you have seemed to be in a strange mood lately. Others have noticed as well. Of course we understand, your father's passing…" He paused again in respect, and then continued gently, "If there is anything I can do–"

"I suppose I have felt a bit…off." One hand, resting on the golden pendent around his neck, tightened slightly. "I am not sure how to describe it."

"You and he were very close," the priest replied gently.

"No, it is not grief. He was a good king and a good man, and is at peace now with my mother. I cannot feel sad for that, knowing he is happy. No…it is more of a feeling as if I have just realized a part of me has been missing my whole life. Maybe it is because of becoming Pharaoh, I do not know. I just feel…incomplete." He shook his head.

Mahaado brightened. "Then I may have good news for you. There has been a marriage offer."

Atemu sighed. "Another one?"

"A very good one. She is a beautiful girl, and her family noble, offering a large dowry. With no daughters in the immediate bloodline, this match would be the next best thing. Taking a wife would not only strengthen the royal family and provide heirs, but give you a companion to support you. If this unrest really is leading to something worse, having someone at your side might make it easier."

"I am not interested."

"But…you said you felt–"

"No." He stood up. "I feel like I am missing a _specific_ piece. I have met the girl you speak of, and though I hardly know her, I know she is not what I feel missing."

"Pharaoh, your parents' marriage was arranged, and they loved each other deeply. If you are worried about happiness, I am sure it is possible–"

"It is not that."

"Do you have someone in mind? I am sure her family would be honoured–"

"No, I do not. I just know…they are out there." His voice deepened with frustration. "When I meet them, I will feel it, I will know _that_ is the person I love and that is the person I need to be with. And I _need_ to wait for them, Mahaado. I do not want to take any other wife. Nobody else is going to take that place, and I am going to be incomplete until I find that person."

"Pharaoh…?" Mahaado was peering at him with concern. Atemu realized how stupid his words sounded and shook his head.

"Forget what I said, I am speaking without thinking. It has been a long, tiring day, I should probably go to bed. As should you."

"Okay…sleep well." He bowed and turned away, closing the door gently. Atemu returned his eyes to the stars.

There had been hopeful offers as far back as he could remember, but now that he was Pharaoh they had increased dramatically. He was well-aware the fact that he had not chosen a wife yet was a hotly-debated topic around the palace.

Staring at the sky, all the reasons he should marry swirled inside his head. To continue the bloodline, the large dowry, not being alone…they all sounded reasonable, and yet felt empty. None of them would bring him happiness…

Somewhere – he could just feel it – there was someone his heart was already tied to.

* * *

**Notes:** Since this happened actually in the past before the whole Atemu-losing-his-memory thing, I figured it was reasonable to refer to him by name. Besides, it was hard enough leaving out contractions, I wasn't about to dance around his name too. ._. Writing in old-school speak before there were contractions is hard!

Since Atemu was the first-born son and didn't seem to have any siblings, I went with the assumption that his mother must have died. Otherwise you'd think she'd have been mentioned. *shrug*

Apologies as well for the horrible grammar. Atemu doesn't feel like he wants a wife, but he's too shy to admit it might be a guy he's all spiritually bonded with somehow. So he used 'them' as a singular pronoun. He's very ashamed of himself, but it had to be done.


	7. The look in your eyes: Angst&Serious, PG

**Theme:** 007- The look in your eyes; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Angst/serious  
**Parings:** Yami x Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** Yami's real name  
**Summary:** Maybe his mistake was in thinking he had to complete the whole cycle of grief before he would be okay.

* * *

The sound of the front door opening and closing caused sudden silence in the kitchen above the Kame Game Shop. Both adults' heads swiveled toward the entryway as heavy footsteps echoed up and Yugi slid into the room. He never "entered" rooms anymore, not really, instead he seemed to slink in and out as if hoping not to be noticed or spoken to.

In this case, however, he was the center of attention and was unable to avoid it. "Hi…"

The moment he spoke, the other two seemed to realize they'd been staring and quickly returned to what they'd been doing.

"Hello Yugi." His grandfather briskly returned to chopping vegetables, and his mother quickly averted her eyes as well, re-arranging perfectly arranged silverware. Yugi's eyebrows furrowed.

"Um…is something wrong? Am I home too late? I'm sorry if–"

"No, it's okay, you're not late." His mother spoke up. "We were just making dinner, I'll set a place for you if you'd like, but I know you and your friends probably ate at the water park."

"Well…yeah, we did. It's okay Mom, I don't need anything."

"Did you guys have a good time?" His grandfather inquired, trying to make the question sound off-hand, but the casualness didn't reach his expression. Yugi was puzzled.

"Yeah." He paused. "It was really strange though…today was the first day that not once was I asked if I needed a children's ticket. Normally at least one person on some ride will try to give me the children's discount or something, but today nobody did."

"Well, you're growing up," His mother replied.

"Yeah, but…I know I haven't been there for awhile, but my height and voice are the same and I look the same as always. I'm definitely not complaining, you wouldn't believe how amusing Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun always find it when they ask me. I just thought it was odd."

His grandfather shook his head. "I don't think your physical appearance has anything to do with it. Your soul is older now, that's noticeable."

The air in the room chilled perceptibly.

"What?" Yugi finally asked suspiciously. "My soul?"

His mother was throwing Sugoroku looks as if she thought he should stop talking, but he elaborated anyway, his voice gentling. "Yugi…you do look different now, more mature, more world-wise. You have a different aura about you. Ever since–"

"Stop."

"It's not a bad thing, he would be happy to know–"

"You don't know anything about what he'd want!"

"Ever since Atemu le–"

"I SAID STOP!"

"Yugi…"

"No, I don't want to talk about this. Is that why you were both staring when I came in here? Just because today is the first day I've gone out with everyone…just because…you think this means I'm fine or something…and you're just going to take this conversation and turn it into one about…about…" Yugi was suddenly furious, although he wasn't really sure what he had to be furious about. He'd been spending the last few months telling everyone he was fine, so by all accounts he ought to be pleased that his family was falling for it. But something inside him was too angry to be silenced. "Look, I don't see why even if my soul is 'older' or something that it should be noticeable…besides, he's gone and…" No longer wanting to discuss it, he started to leave the room.

"Yugi…do you ever look at your eyes in your reflection in the mirror?"

Yugi stopped.

No. That was the honest answer. Not once since…well, why would he want to? He didn't really like seeing his reflection anymore anyway, so why on Earth would he want to see his eyes? Especially when they were the same unusual colour as _his_…when the only other person with eyes this shade was gone…

It was bad enough that everything made him remember. Bad enough that things as simple as familiar buildings or clothes or even scents brought back the emptiness every single day no matter how much he tried to let it go. Bad enough that he was breaking every promise or dream he and Yami had shared when he would break down in pathetic tears when the pain got to be too much. Bad enough even that he couldn't bring himself to think of his other self by his proper name of Atemu, instead clinging to a childish nickname from the early days.

The last thing he wanted to be subjected to was seeing eyes the same colour.

"No."

"You should try–"

"Well I disagree." Yugi snapped, and strode away up to his room, slamming the door loudly enough to be sure his family got the point. Pacing, he tried to push away the sick feeling that had appeared inside him, but knew from practice that it wouldn't work.

_Older soul…yeah…you try losing someone you love…see how well your soul takes it…_

Maybe his family had some kind of point, he _was_ a lot quieter these days…he no longer felt excited or energized or any sort of extreme emotion really. The blow-up in the kitchen was one of the first in a long time. But still, just because grief had forced him to mature…maybe it did make his aura older, but had he asked for an explanation? No. He'd just made a comment and they turned it into _that_. How dare they just bring up Yami casually like that, as if he was just a conversation piece…_how dare they…_

_They don't understand._

He had noticed his friends acting slightly different around him as well. Of course he knew they had mourned for Yami too, but they had all moved on. They knew that he alone was still stuck in the past. And probably faulted him for that too.

_What do they want me to do, just forget Yami ever existed and pretend like I never loved him?_

Yugi knew the basic cycle of grief. But he had never been able to make it to the acceptance, much less letting go stage. Somehow he was still stuck behind, a fact that his family and friends had apparently picked up on. And a fact which, by reminding him of it, they tormented him with. All the words that were supposed to console…  
_  
Atemu is happy now, he's with his friends and family.  
__  
He's still alive inside your heart.  
__  
He wouldn't want to see you this way…_

"I know!" Yugi couldn't help answering the mental words, throwing himself on his bed. Of course he knew, did they think that he, of all people, wouldn't know that Yami would hate to see him suffering? Did they really think he didn't understand what Yami would want, and subsequently hate himself for being unable to do it?

Frustrated, he sat up with a heavy sigh. He knew he couldn't really blame them…they were just concerned about him. They were trying to help, he had to respect that…but it was no real good. Yami was gone, there was no way around it. All the kind words in the world about still having his memory didn't mean anything. And the 'still alive inside you' speech just made Yugi laugh bitterly. Yami wasn't alive in anyone, he was dead. And what was a memory compared to really having him? Yami would never again speak to him, never again smile at him, never again touch or hold him, never…never exist again at all. He was alone now, alone in a way that would never change no matter what happened around him. And he was expected to _accept_ that?

Wiping his eyes, he got up and reached for his tissues when he knocked over a stack of video-game cartridges on his dresser, and knelt down to pick them up. Standing, he turned to set them back on the table, when, unknowingly, he found himself facing his mirror.

It was the only mirror left in his room. The others he had gotten rid of. He used this sometimes just to make sure his hair looked alright on the days that he cared. Now, his gaze was averted towards the reflection of his wall in the background.

_"Do you ever look at your eyes in your reflection?"_

No point in considering it, what would he gain? More pain, more reasons to miss Yami, more reasons to cry, more reasons for Yami to be ashamed of him…?

And yet, for some reason, he was curious…curious about what was there that others had apparently noticed. Curious about why it seemed so important.

Who knew how much time passed as he waited, simply deciding to let himself make the choice without mentally forcing himself. It might have been minutes or hours or days, until his eyes finally, for the first time in months, flicked towards their reflection in the shiny surface and held.

Yes…same colour as they'd always been. A little darker right now because of the tears…even more like Yami's, his eyes always _had_ seemed to be the tiniest shade darker, although it was hard to tell…

Or was it really the tears?

Yugi found himself staring hungrily, stepping closer until he was almost touching the mirror.

"…Yami?"

At first he considered he was finally losing his mind, but the more he looked, the more he felt…right.

They were not the narrowed, haughty shape of Yami's, genetics had made sure that Yugi's eyes would never attain that uniquely striking form. Nor were the lashes as dark, and the whites were somewhat bloodshot...but past that, they were Yami's eyes. Yugi recognized his own familiar gaze there, but alongside it…that was Yami's spirit. There was no doubt.

_He's still alive inside you._

But Yami was dead…

_You'll always have him in your heart._

Dead…but was it possible…that there was still a little of Yami's legacy left in this world? Left in him?

_So that's why Grandpa wanted me to see my reflection. He saw Yami there too…_

For the first time since he'd watched Yami walk away, Yugi felt a smile spread over his lips. A tiny smile, but it was something.

Why hadn't he realized it before?

It wasn't the same, it would never be the same…but maybe he wasn't entirely as alone as he thought.

As he stepped away, he felt something unknotting inside him. He understood now that he would never reach the truly letting go stage. But that was okay, he was starting to realize that he didn't need to be ashamed of that. Yami was there, somewhere, kept alive in his heart after all. That was enough to keep him going, and if the rest of the world rejected his beliefs, he didn't care.

For Yugi, the cycle was complete.

* * *

**Notes:** I made the assumption for this that eventually Yugi's mother was filled in on the whole story. I mean...if she's a good mother, she'd probably be concerned when her son returns from a myserious trip to Egypt without his necklace and immediately falls into depression. Iunno. Just seems to me like she ought to get to have the whole story eventually.


	8. Snow days: Fluff&Romance, PG, AU

**Theme:** 008- Snow days; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Fluff/romance  
**Parings:** Yami x Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Yami discovers that snow does have one good purpose.

* * *

"Yami!" Yugi hugged him as he walked in. "How are you?"

"It's snowing," He reported with dismay as he took off his jacket and boots.

"I know!" Yugi beamed through the window at the white flakes. "_And_ school was canceled. Today is the best day ever."

Yami scowled at the window. "Worst day at school beats a best day of snow if you ask me."

"You're crabby," Yugi said, leaning against him.

"I hate winter. This is the first proof of winter. Now there's three more months ahead…"

"How can you hate winter? It's beautiful and white and magical! And sometimes, like today, we even get a free day off school!"

"It's cold, wet, and my family is going to make me spend hours shoveling snow out of our driveway. I've already gotten at least three large bruises putting snow tires on my truck this morning, and I saw two crashes just coming here. I'm wearing four layers of clothes and I'm still shivering. Snow sucks, ice sucks, winter sucks."

"Oh, but it makes the world look so clean and pure."

"For one hour. After that, it makes the world look like a huge dirty snow cone that's been dropped on the ground and stepped on."

"You are the biggest cynic I've ever met!" Yugi scolded.

"Sorry." Yami shook his head. "Winter and I don't get along."

"All you need is one good experience though, and then you'll change your mind," Yugi said cheerfully. "Then you'll learn to love winter."

Yami folded his arms. "Okay, give me one good reason."

"Snow angels."

"Try again."

"Hot chocolate."

"We could turn the AC up and get the house good and cold and enjoy it just as much."

"Sledding, skiing, ice skating…"

"I hate sports. I don't think freezing while playing sports is going to make me like them any more."

"Ice skating isn't a sport!"

"It's in the Olympics, it's a sport."

Yugi took his hand and dragged him toward the stairs. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Ice skating. I'm gonna get my skates, and we'll stop by Jounouchi's, you can borrow his."

"Yugi, I don't want–!"

Yugi turned, pouting slightly. Yami stopped fighting. "Okay, I guess I could give it a try."

A twenty-minute truck ride later, they arrived at the frozen lake where several other families were already skating. Yugi helped Yami put the skates on and they clomped through the snow to the edge of the lake.

"Have you ever ice skated before?" Yugi asked. Yami shook his head, eyeing the ice warily.

"No…we lived down south before moving here."

"Okay, well, it's easy." Yugi said, gliding backwards out onto the ice. "The most important thing is to not try to lift your feet right away. Wait till you get your balance."

"I don't know…"

"Come on, just try. Here…" He moved forward and reached out, taking Yami by the arms. "Now put one foot on the ice…"

Yami obeyed. "Ehh…okay…I think I'm steady."

"Now the other."

Wobbling, he lifted his left foot and his right one, already on the ice, slid out from under him.

"Ahh! Yugi!!"

The next thing he knew, they were both on the ground. Laughing, Yugi got to his feet and took his hands. "Don't worry, that happens to everyone. But look, you're on the ice! Now try to stand up."

With a lot of sliding and tipping, he finally managed to stand upright, clinging to Yugi. But he couldn't help a victorious grin. "I'm standing!"

"A good first step," Yugi agreed. Then he started to move his feet. Yami gripped him harder.

"Yugi…what are you…?"

"Just hold still, I'm moving us so you get an idea of how it feels on the skates."

"It feels like I'm about to fall over at any second."

"Move your feet too, it'll make you feel a little more steady."

As Yugi slowly skated backward, pulling Yami with him, he smiled up at his boyfriend. He could see sparks of enjoyment in Yami's eyes, despite his grumbling. After a few moments Yami even got up the nerve to try moving his feet, and felt them both move faster.

"Hey, I think I'm doing it!"

"Good job!" Yugi congratulated. "Now ready to try it on your own?"

"Wait, what?"

"Good luck!" Yugi let go of him and glided away, giggling as Yami slid to a wobbly stop and froze where he stood.

"Yugi!" He yelled.

"Just do what you did before!" Yugi skated away several meters, stopping beside a snow bank. "You can do it!"

Tentatively he moved one foot, then the other, but with too much force. Flailing, he managed to regain his balance without falling over and tried again.

"Hey, Yugi, I'm moving forward!"

"Alright!" Yugi called back, clapping.

Growing bold, he tried to push himself faster, concentrating so much on not falling over that he didn't realize how close he was to Yugi till he heard Yugi call out to him to slow down.

_Slow down?_

But he didn't know how to slow down!

Flailing again, he found himself heading right for the snow bank. Yugi reached out and grabbed him on the way by, spinning him around. Tipping backwards, he fell into the snow as Yugi fell on top of him, laughing.

"Arrgh! I hate winter!" Yami sputtered, shivering. "Yugi, I'm sorry, but I don't think you're ever going to convert me."

Yugi smiled down at him. "Hold still, okay?"

"Why? I'm cold, wet, sore…I'm currently experiencing everything I hate about this damned season all at once and–"

Yugi sighed, leaned down and kissed his lips long and softly, parting them. Instantly going silent, Yami's eyes fluttered shut as he savoured the feeling. This was something new…he and Yugi's cold, dry lips merging with an intensely warm kiss; a strange, but pleasant, mix of ice and heat.

As Yugi pulled away, Yami smiled up at him. "So maybe there is something to like about winter."

* * *

**Notes:** Gratuitous fluff is unhealthy. But oh-so-wonderful. Like sugar. =D

It seems that it doesn't snow in Domino in canon. But this is AU...so we'll just pretend Domino has been moved north, ne? For the record, I have ice skated before, there's an indoor rink in Miami. I spent the entire time there either falling down, or in the bathroom under the hand dryer, trying to get warm. ^^;;; (True story, and I wasn't the only person in the bathroom under the hand dryer either.)

Today will be the last day of the Assault of the Fics. Posting 008 this morning, 009 this evening, and after this updates will be more spread out. I was just trying to catch up with where I'm posted up to on my writing journal. Thanks for your patience!


	9. Wishful thinking: Angst, G

**Theme:** 009- Wishful thinking; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Angst  
**Parings:** 'Atemu' x Yugi  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Deep down he knew it would never be real, but letting go of the wish still hurt.

* * *

"Hey Atemu," Jounouchi smiled, opening the door. "Come on in, get comfortable. I've got the video game all set up."

"Hi Jounouchi," Atemu said, kicking his shoes off in the entryway. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Well I know you like games." Jounouchi shrugged, following him to the living room. "You seemed like the natural person to call."

Atemu sank to the floor, looking up at him a bit suspiciously. "Oh? So that's why you called me?"

"It's not like I could play a two-player game alone," he returned, sitting down too.

Atemu waited, then sighed. "You can say it, Jounouchi."

"Say what?"

"That you called Yugi first and he was busy. It's okay, I don't take any offense."

Jounouchi frowned. "But I didn't call Yugi first. I already knew he'd be busy today, so in fact you were my first choice of company."

"What do you mean you already knew?" Atemu asked, eyebrows furrowed. "He didn't say anything to me about having plans."

"Well he and Rebecca were going to– _ohh_, wait, of course you wouldn't know. God, I'm sorry Atemu, I forgot."

"That isn't fair, you don't just start a sentence and then not end it," Atemu said crossly. "Yugi and Rebecca are _what_?"

He grinned. "I sort of set them up."

Atemu stared. "You what?"

"Well, Rebecca's in town with her grandfather and she asked me to set them up on a date. You know, she's had a crush on Yugi forever and it seems like he isn't entirely repulsed by her, so I figured, why not?"

"Yeah…why not?" Atemu echoed.

"I know, she's young, but she's smart and they're both into dueling, so they'll have something to talk about."

"Of course."

"I'm not a big fan of her, but hey, Yugi's my best friend and if it does turn out he likes her, I don't have a problem setting them up and giving them a chance to test the water." He shrugged. "So Atemu, d'you want some snacks before we start? I don't know what levels we'll be allowed to save the game at…" He trailed off. "Atemu? Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He pulled a smile onto his face, even knowing it was far too late.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just…" He paused, trying not to sound accusing. "It's just you'd think you could have told me you were planning to set Yugi and Rebecca up. It'd have been nice for it to not come as a complete shock."

"Well I'm sorry," Jounouchi said, sounding a little taken-aback, making it clear that Atemu had failed in his attempt at not sounding accusatory. "I'll make sure and tell you next time."

Atemu sighed. "No, I'm sorry. It isn't any of my business anyway. Besides, it's fine. It's great. Yugi and Rebecca, that's…really great."

His irritated expression turned into one of concern again. "Atemu…do you not want them together?"

Atemu's cheeks flushed. _Gods, am I making it that obvious?_ "No…I mean…"

Jounouchi was amazed. "Wow…I always thought you hated Rebecca!"

"I don't hate her! I find her annoying and immature, but I wouldn't call that hate."

"Then why on Earth would you want to date her?"

Atemu recoiled. "I don't want to date _her_!"

Jounouchi's jaw dropped as he suddenly understood. Atemu grimaced.

"You…you're…?"

"Jounouchi…"

"You want to date _Yugi_?!"

Atemu groaned and hid his face.

Jounouchi sounded across between shocked and delighted. "I don't believe it…you have a crush on Yugi. Wow."

"Look, it's no big deal."

"Why didn't you say anything before? If I'd known about this ahead of time I wouldn't have tried to get them together!"

Atemu shrugged. "Go ahead and set them up, it's alright. I mean, she has a much better shot, who am I kidding?"

Jounouchi's exuberant tone died down at the obvious misery in his eyes. "Atemu…" He paused, and, in his most optimistic voice, said, "You know it might not work out between them. This was just a set-up date, if it doesn't go so well, then…"

"No, I hope it works out for them. I want Yugi to be happy, I hope he has a great time." He shook his head. "It's not like I really believed I had a chance…you can't lose what you didn't have."

"You seem awfully upset for not believing you had a chance," Jounouchi said quietly.

"There was that long stretch of time when he was single and I thought…I don't know, just maybe if the right moment arose, if the right chance to talk to him came up…but it was stupid. It was all just…wishful thinking. It was never going to be real." He took a deep breath and pulled himself together, forcing himself not to blink too much. "Anyway…yes, I think I would like snacks first. Can't concentrate on an empty stomach."

"Oh…okay. I'll go see what we have." He stood up and left the room, giving Atemu a moment to wipe his eyes in privacy.

* * *

**  
****Notes:** Okay, now I know this seems like kind of a depressing way to celebrate the coming of the new year. But I have a reason! ...And that reason is that this just happened to be the next theme in line. But I have an _excuse_ as well. See, we're leaving all the bad things behind in 2008. 2009 will be a better year. So I'm getting the angst out now so that it won't follow us into 2009.

I hope you're all having (or had) a very awesome New Years Eve, and wish you a great New Year!! =D


	10. Fire: Serious&Angst, PG

**Theme:** 010- Fire; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Serious/angst  
**Parings:** Yami no Yugi x Yugi  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** Manga chapter 86  
**Summary:** He didn't want to hear Yugi's last words.

* * *

As everyone ran for the door, Yugi stopped and looked back. On the table sat the half-completed Puzzle, the other pieces scattered around it, shimmering in the fire. He turned.

"Yugi, what are you–"

His voice rose as he turned to tell Jounouchi through the flames, "I've got to solve the Puzzle!"

"Are you _nuts_? We've got to get out of here or we'll burn to death!"

He glared, shouting over the roar of the fire. "I can't leave mou hitori no boku behind...if this place burns down, the Puzzle will be destroyed! Don't you understand? I'll never see him again!"

"Yugi–"

Nobody finished the sentence, but he could see it in their faces. _'Leave the Puzzle and save yourself.'_  
_  
I can't._

They didn't understand, his other self depended on him. Yet he had let Otogi's father separate them, he had let him break his other self's heart. He could never leave him behind and make him perish alone in this fire.

"Please, all of you, let me stay here and solve the Puzzle." He tried again, begging them to understand as he fumbled with the tiny pieces.

"Yugi, it's no good," Jounouchi was insisting. "Even if you solve it, it's chained to the table. Solving it won't save…him."

_I know that. I know I can't save him. That's why…_

"Just…just let me see mou hitori no boku for one last time," he finally replied, eyes trained on the pieces as tears welled up, both in sadness and from the smoke.

"One last…Yugi, _no_!"

Somewhere to his left, his friends were shouting, pulling at him, but he didn't hear them anymore. He could spare no more time to listen to their concerns. He had to save his other soul. And if he couldn't save him, he had to at least see him…he had to tell him…

_Hold on mou hitori no boku…I'll solve the Puzzle again, then we'll see each other…and I can tell you how sorry I am…_

The air thick with smoke, he found himself lightheaded. His burned skin blistered, yet somehow he had gone past pain. Either that, or the lack of oxygen was getting to him…

_I just want to see him one last time._

The number of pieces was dwindling. He must be almost finished; strange, it had only taken moments…

_Almost done…_

His vision was going dark, but as he placed in the last piece, he knew he'd been successful. He could feel the connection filling in the empty place.

_Mou hitori no boku…I'm so sorry…for letting them hurt you._

_Aibou!_ The voice was coming from somewhere nearby. Yugi smiled in his mind at the sound. The blurry sight of his spirit partner appeared before him.

_I'm happy...now I can tell you good-bye…now you won't be alone…_ He found his strength fading and struggled to hang on long enough. _I lo…_

_Aibou, no, get to safety–_

_I must…I need to tell you…_

_Aibou–_ Somewhere in the distance he could feel someone touching his face. It wasn't Jounouchi, he was still aware of being in the chair in the burning room. It must be happening in his mind…

_Mou…hitori…_

He couldn't hang on any longer as blackness crashed over him and he felt himself falling. The heat and pain faded, suddenly replaced by the sensation of being caught by warm arms and gentle hands, and of someone's heartbeat against his cheek as they held him safe.

And on the edge of unconsciousness, the faintest echo of a whisper: _Aibou…_

_

* * *

_

"Are you sure he's going to be okay?"

"Anzu, calm down, he's going to be fine."

"He hasn't woken up yet."

"Considering the burns, he might count himself lucky to be unconscious," Jounouchi mused, wincing as he attempted to flex his own blistered fingers.

Anzu didn't smile, she glared at him and then looked back down at the boy lying in the bed between them.

Honda picked up the Puzzle lying beside Yugi and peered at it. "So do you think the Other Yugi is in there?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?" Jounouchi snatched it from him and tilted Yugi's head up so that he could place the pendant around his neck, before retaliating, "After what Yugi went through to save him? Of course he's in there."

"Well how do you know?"

"The Puzzle's complete, isn't it?" He returned, electing not to tell them that he was sure he'd heard the Other Yugi's voice when he was trying to get them out.

"Well you're not missing any pieces but it's still questionable if you have a brain or not–"

"Hey! I–"

"Would the two of you shut up?" Anzu snapped, silencing them both. "Yugi almost died, and you're making jokes!"

"Anzu…"

"If you hadn't gotten him out, Jounouchi…who knows what might have happened?" Tears suddenly ran down her cheeks. "He shouldn't have stayed in that. The building was collapsing. A few more minutes and…"

"Anzu, he wasn't leaving without the Puzzle. Even after he passed out I couldn't pry his hand off of it."

"What good would staying behind with it really do? They would have both been killed."

"Are you saying he should have left it behind? He should have left…_him_ behind?"

She bowed her head. "No…I'm not saying that, I just…if it came down to losing them both or saving Yugi...I would choose Yugi's life in a second. But Yugi doesn't see it that way, does he? He would rather die with his other self than be saved without him…"

"Anzu, he's gonna be okay," Honda offered gently. "They're both okay, you don't need to worry about that now."

"He loves him, doesn't he?"

"What?" Jounouchi frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"Yugi. He…loves the Other Yugi."

"Of course he does, they're friends."

"I mean…as more."

"Anzu, I doubt that." Honda laughed.

"He was going to die with him in that fire!"

"Yugi would have done the same for any of us. That doesn't mean he's in love with us. He and his other self are best friends," Jounouchi said.

She looked up. "Yugi never made you leave the fire. He didn't risk his life to try and get you to safety, or to tell you good-bye…"

"Anzu, I don't think that means anything. He was under a lot of stress, I doubt he would have noticed anybody there. He probably didn't even realize I was outside the room."

"They're so attached…" She stared at the Puzzle, still slightly smudged by the oily smoke of the fire. "But if…there is a place in Egypt…that the Puzzle should ever have to return to, what will happen to–"

"Here we go! Snacks, drinks…" Ryou and Yugi's grandfather appeared in the doorway, arms full of bags and cans, shattering the solemn moment and preventing her from finishing her question. With relief, Jounouchi walked over to help distribute the food.

He knew what she was going to ask. He also knew she was right. But dwelling on something that could only end in pain wasn't going to do any good right now.

* * *

In the middle of the night Yugi regained consciousness. Even as he began to come to, the first thing he noticed was the weight resting on his chest, and slowly brought one bandaged hand up, holding – almost caressing – the golden pendent. He smiled.

_You're safe._

_Aibou, you shouldn't have done that. You should never have stayed in the fire like that_, his other self's voice returned, unexpectedly harsh, and when Yugi looked up, he saw the spirit's eyes glittering from where he was curled at the foot of the bed.

_But you–_

_My life is not worth that._

Tired, he closed his eyes. _You're wrong. Your life is worth even more than that to me._

His other self had no response.

Yugi sighed, opening his eyes and staring up at the dark hospital ceiling_. It was you, wasn't it? You caught me. I felt you.  
_  
Still, nothing but silence.

_Your hands were warm.  
_  
He felt a strange jolt, and had the odd sensation that the spirit was attempting to pull away from him.

_Did you hear me? What I was trying to say…?_

_I heard you, Aibou._

_I didn't have a chance to finish. I wanted to tell you–_

_I don't want to hear it._

_But–_

_No. Don't say it. Never say it!_

Confused at his angry tone, Yugi tentatively asked, _Mou hitori no boku?_

_Never say…that…to me! _His eyes glowed, then his figure vanished.

_Mou hitori…?_

He received no response, and, frowning, followed his other self into his mind to the door of his soul room, stepping inside after him. "Mou hitori no boku, don't ignore me like that!"

The spirit turned, glaring. "Can you not see that I want to be left alone right now?"

"At least tell me what that outburst was all about!"

"No!"

Yugi stared, struck silent. The spirit stared back, trying to fight away the guilt at the hurt in Yugi's eyes. He didn't dare allow his gaze to rest on Yugi's injuries, and compensated by looking past Yugi at the wall outside. He had to make Yugi leave soon, before he lost his composure…

"Mou hitori no boku?" Yugi asked quietly. "Is…something wrong?"

"There is nothing wrong." He grit his teeth, stepping forward, one hand on the open door. "I just want to be left alone. Now please get out."

"Not until you tell me what's hurting you–"

"There is nothing hurting me!" He turned his face away, lest his eyes reveal the lie.

"Mou hit–"

"Out!" He shouted, shoving Yugi backwards into the hall and pulling the door shut with a loud bang. Yugi stumbled, falling down on the floor, a small gasp of shock and pain escaping him as he struggled to sit up. Heart pounding, he stared up at the closed door, tears of confusion filling his eyes.

"M…mou hitori no boku?"

Inside, the spirit pulled his hand to his chest, collapsing back against the wall in horror at himself. Sliding to the floor, he huddled against it as he clamped his hands over his ears to avoid hearing Yugi's voice, squeezing his eyes shut.  
_  
He would have died._

Trembling, he curled more tightly, wishing he could forget it was he who encouraged Yugi to put the Puzzle on a chain, wishing he could forget it was he who Yugi was going to stay behind for…  
_  
Aibou would have died…all because of me._

_

* * *

_

**Notes:** Happy birthday Kaoru! I hope you have a great day. ^_^ Enjoy your Yami!angst. xD

I always have fun playing around with this scene. There is just SO MUCH PROOF of Puzzleshipping in it. I took creative license with some of the dialogue and obviously the scene where Yugi is unconscious and the night after, but I think everything is plausible in the story's context. And yes, I still maintain that Anzu is a Puzzleshipper. u_u


	11. Pink lemonade: Fluff&Humour, G

**Theme:** 011- Pink lemonade; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Fluff/humour  
**Parings:** 'Atemu' x Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** The dubious origins of a drink manage to completely disrupt a simple shopping trip.

* * *

"Okay, produce. We need lettuce, carrots, radishes…and Jii-chan asked for apples. I'll get the vegetables…Atemu, why don't you get the apples?"

When he returned to the cart moments later, however, there were no apples to be found. Frowning, Yugi looked around. "Atemu, were you listening to me?! …What are you doing?"

The former pharaoh was staring with a frustrated look at the selection of lemons. He turned toward Yugi, eyebrows furrowed, pointed at the citrus and demanded, "Where are the pink ones?"

Yugi had no idea how to respond to that. "Ah…"

"The pink lemons!" Atemu said, looking increasingly puzzled. "That you make pink lemonade with! Surely they would be beside the regular lemons?"

Biting back laughter, Yugi shook his head. "There's no such thing as pink lemons."

"Then how do you make pink lemonade?"

"You take regular lemonade and colour it with grenadine."

Atemu was appalled. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Yugi shrugged. "That's the way it is."

"Why would you bother?"

"Because it's prettier than regular lemonade. Would you just get the apples?"

"Why not blue lemonade, then?" Atemu asked. "Or purple? Or orange? Or–"

"I'm sure those are possible if you use food colouring," Yugi interrupted. "Now, the app–"

"Whose idea was it to make lemonade pink, anyway? Was someone just sitting around one day saying, 'this ordinary lemonade is so very boring, I think I'll turn it pink.'"

"Yes, that's possible. Now could you please focus on grocery shopping–"

"And someone's actually being paid for this idea? Different coloured lemonade?"

"That's it, I'm never letting you put sugar in your morning tea ever again, you get completely nutty when you're on a sugar high." Yugi grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him out of the produce department.

"What about apples for Grandfather–"

"Jii-chan can get his own apples. Let's just get you home before you spot anything that's blue raspberry flavoured, because I _really_ don't know how to explain that to you."

* * *

**Notes:** I like silly/clueless/random Atemu. He's OOC, but he makes me happy. x3 Plus I think there's a lack of fics where Atemu honestly doesn't understand present-day things. He's 3000 years old, yet NEVER goes through culture shock. I've always found that odd. And I didn't know how pink lemonade was made either before researching it for this.

Happy 20th birthday to me! ^_^ *shameless self-pimping*


	12. The universe: Angst&Introspective, G

**Theme:** 012- The nature of the universe; for 100_chances  
**Rating: **G  
**Genre:** Angst/introspective  
**Parings:** Yami x Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** Vaguely the series ending.  
**Summary:** (Drabble.) Maybe it was never meant to last.

* * *

It is amazing, sometimes, the way humans accept pain. How they just believe it's normal to lose the best things they have. That it's the way it has to be.

_Why?_ He would wonder.

But he was guilty of it too; guilty of seeing something he knew was wrong and yet doing nothing to stop it. Guilty of watching his beloved walk away and blindly accepting, as so many others have, that sometimes that just was the way things had to be.

Perhaps it is just the nature of the universe that the best things aren't meant to last forever.

* * *

**Notes:** Written originally as Yugi's POV after the Ceremonial Battle, but it would also work as an AU from either perspective. Because it's a short little drabble, theme 013 will be posted today too. ^^


	13. Heaven & Hell: Angst&Tragedy, PG, AUish

**Theme:** 013- Heaven and Hell; for 100_chances  
**Rating: **PG  
**Genre:** Angst/tragedy  
**Parings:** Atemu x Heba  
**Warnings:** Contains fanon references, thus AU-ish.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** _He hadn't even been allowed to say good-bye._

* * *

Every townsperson came out to kneel as the small group made its way through the land toward the burial grounds. There wasn't anyone who had not heard the news – the young king had more than the people's obligated loyalty; he had earned their overwhelming respect. When the word of his death came, it spread like fire. And as they knelt, each thought it unfair that his death would not be honoured the way it should have been. Even knowing it went against everything they had been taught, they hoped in vain that even without a body his soul would find its way to the Fields of Peace. The thought of such a good person being banished to oblivion was too horrible. Only the priests knew where his soul really was, trapped along with the evil he'd helped banish. There was nothing else, his body had been destroyed, and his tomb would now serve a purpose far different from any other.

But there _should _have been more, if Fate hadn't been so cruel. There should have been a long line of horses and people carrying gifts and food and offerings. There should have been mourners and friends, led by the new pharaoh. There should have been a grand statue, and an elaborate and beautiful coffin taking him to the place where he would depart for the afterlife.

Instead, the funeral procession of the greatest pharaoh that Egypt would ever know was simply six priests on their horses, the eldest of them holding a small golden box in his hands, and the bare minimum of officials who had to accompany the dead. Nothing else was taken to his tomb; nobody else was with them.

And the one person who should have been present, the person who Atemu had both loved and lived for, had not even been invited. Considered a servant, unworthy to accompany the pharaoh to his resting place, he had been left behind without a thought. Deep in the palace the young man huddled alone in a corner of the pharaoh's empty quarters, a dark purple cape clutched to his chest as he sobbed.

He hadn't even been allowed to say good-bye.

* * *

**Notes: **For anyone not familiar with Heba, he's basically an Ancient Egyptian version of Yugi. Generally he's portrayed as a servant of Atemu, and Yugi is his reincarnation, hence the reason Yugi solved the Puzzle. Or it goes something like that. I'm pretty sure he was fanon-created, so here's a nod to whoever first came up with him.  
Geez, I posted two portrayals of Atemu's death in one day. Poor guy. xD For future reference, the contractions were intentional. There's a prequel to this that will be posted...a very very long time from now considering its theme number is in the 70's. ^^;;


	14. If we never meet again: Serious&Angst, G

**Theme:** 014- If we never meet again; for 100_chances  
**Rating: **G  
**Genre:** Serious/angst  
**Parings:** Atemu x Yugi  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** _The other spirits had told him this would be a bad idea._

* * *

Yugi's room hadn't changed much.

Atemu recalled the last time he'd been in it, spending the night before the flight to Egypt pacing aimlessly, too anxious to settle inside his soul room. Now he stood in the familiar place once again as a translucent spirit, except this time there was no pendant around Yugi's neck, and if he were to wake, he would just stare straight through where Atemu stood – unable to see him, unable to hear him.

The other spirits had told him that this would be a bad idea. They warned that going back to Earth as a spirit to visit old friends would be a mistake. That regardless of how 'ready' he claimed he was, he would only be hurt when he realized that things would never be the way they used to be. They told stories of spirits who had gone back and had become so obsessed with finding a way to communicate with their loved ones that they could never return to the afterworld. They threw every possible horror story at him they could in hopes of dissuading him.

Oh, but he'd ignored them all. He said he didn't care if things weren't the same. He just wanted so badly to see _him _again, just once.

Now, in the moonlight from the window, he saw Yugi lying on his back, hands clasped over his chest. His lips were moving, as if he was speaking to someone – or praying. Atemu frowned slightly. Yugi had never been religious. He padded closer, a strange pressure rising inside him, the spiritual equivalent of what – he assumed – would have been a racing heart if he still had a body.

"Hi Aibou," he said softly.

Yugi's lips continued to move, breathing out words that Atemu could now catch bits of. "Wherever you are…I hope you're happy, and…haven't forgotten me…"

The words struck him as odd. This didn't _sound _like a prayer, or at least, not any kind of prayer that Atemu could think of.

As Yugi drew in a breath, a small sob suddenly escaped, making him gasp. Atemu instinctively sank to the bed, worried. He tried to reach out, only remembering who he was now when his fingers passed through Yugi's arm unnoticed.

"Aibou?"

"Even if I never see you again," Yugi whispered to the ceiling as tears leaked from under his closed eyes. "I just…want you to know you're loved."

Now Atemu realized who Yugi was talking to. It wasn't a prayer, it was a message. A message that Yugi had repeated night after night, for months without fail, in the hope that it would somehow reach between the worlds.

The pressure had grown painful. He knelt where he was as Yugi, biting back more tears, rolled onto his side.

"Aibou…of course I know," Atemu whispered pointlessly. Yugi just swallowed, burying his face into his pillow to muffle further sobs, the muted sounds of which broke Atemu's non-existent heart.

The spirits had been right. It hurt too much. He no longer existed to Yugi; he had no way to comfort him, no way to hold him, no way to tell him that he would always be loved back…

It was torture, to sit here and know Yugi was in pain, and to do nothing to help.

_"No matter how much you want to reach him, you will not be able to," _Mahaado had warned. _"So even if it is hard, you have to force yourself to leave him and come back to our world." _

At the time, Atemu had scoffed at his concern. He wasn't going there to try to 'reach' Yugi. He just wanted to see him, that was all.

Now he understood the warning. He could see how easy to was to be trapped.

Still, he didn't move.

* * *

**Notes: M**ore angst wheee! xD This fic has a sequel, but it's not the next one. Never fear, there will be gratuitous fluff on Valentine's Day. There are actually some really good themes coming up that I'm really pleased with the fics I came up with for them. I'm looking forward to sharing them. ^^  
Also, this will be the last double post for awhile. Just wanted to get the angst out of the way before V-Day, yes.


	15. Musically inclined: Fluff&Gen, PG, AU

**Theme:** 015- If we never meet again; for 100_chances  
**Rating: **PG  
**Genre:** Fluff/general  
**Parings:** 'Atemu' x Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Perhaps music class wouldn't be so terrible after all...

* * *

"I cannot believe the school instated music class."

"It wouldn't be so bad if we got to learn cool instruments. Instead it's these traditional ones." Jounouchi fidgeted with the strings of the _shamisen _he was holding.

"I'll swap you, yours is cooler than the _shakuhachi _any day," Yugi said and held up the vertical flute-like instrument, eyeing it with distaste. "Do you know how old this thing is? My grandfather got it when _he _was in high school."

The teacher, who had been talking, glanced at the seating chart and called, "Mutou-san, Jounouchi-san, I'm sure your conversation can wait till after class."

"Sorry Yanita-sensei," they both answered.

She fixed them with a look and continued, "Now as I was saying, this first class is just to become familiar with the instrument you have chosen…"

Beside him Jounouchi was grumbling under his breath again, but Yugi's attention had been taken by someone he hadn't noticed earlier; a striking young man, standing to the right and back a little of the teacher. Nobody had entered the room late so he must have been there all along, but Yugi hadn't bothered to look up till now.  
_  
__Who is he?_

Yugi found himself staring, until the young man turned and their gazes met. The stranger offered a friendly smile. Yugi's heart thumped and he quickly looked away at the floor shyly, but felt himself smiling too.

"…including the proper construction, handling, and storage of it," the music teacher concluded. "Now we will get acquainted with holding the instrument the correct way. I will assist this half of the class," she motioned with her hand, "and Atemu-san will take the other half. He is my senior intern, and I expect you to give him the same respect you give me." She nodded to the person beside her.

As the other students picked up their instruments, Yugi used the temporary flurry of activity to sneak another glance at the older student, only to find that he had vanished from the front of the room.

"Hey, Yugi." Jounouchi broke into his thoughts. "What're you looking at?"

"Nothing. I just can't hold this stupid instrument correctly. I was trying to get the intern's attention," Yugi said and put on the most frustrated look that he could. A few moments later, his effort paid off.

"Need some help?" Atemu asked, walking up beside him. A pleasant warmth entered Yugi's chest as they met eyes again. Unfortunately, all his communication skills seemed to vanish at the same moment.

"Ah…I…um…"

Atemu looked slightly puzzled.

"Y-yeah, actually, I do," Yugi finally said. "I can't figure out the right way to hold this, I think I'm doing it wrong."

"You're actually very close. Here, just move this hand a little…" Atemu reached around from behind him, arranging his hand over Yugi's and guiding his fingers at an angle so that Yugi could see them. Yugi swallowed heavily, his body going rigid.

"Got it?" Atemu asked.

Yugi nodded, before saying tentatively, "Er…but I'm not sure about my left, is it okay?"

"Again, you're close," he replied, reaching for his other hand so that he was now standing behind Yugi, his arms partially around him and both hands resting on top of Yugi's. Yugi sniffed interestedly at the air. The most delicious scent was wafting from Atemu's clothing, and he could feel soft puffs of warm breath on his left ear as Atemu leaned in to explain. The voices of the class faded into the background. Yugi blissfully wondered how he ever could have thought instating music class was a bad idea.

"Mutou-san? Are you listening?" Atemu's voice broke in.

The fog vanished from Yugi's brain as he came back to the present, blushing. "Um, yes, sorry…and you don't have to be so formal, 'Yugi' is fine."

"Alright, Yugi-kun," he said cheerfully, causing another pleasant stir in Yugi's chest. "Have you got the hang of this?"

"Oh yes…thank you."

"Not a problem." Atemu smiled and moved on to help the next person.

"So what was that all about?" Jounouchi asked slyly, nudging him. Yugi, about to retort, was distracted as he saw Atemu helping a girl down the row, and noted that he was guiding her fingers just as gently as he had done his. Yugi frowned, allowed the _shakuhachi _in his hands to slip, and called,

"Atemu-senpai? I need you to show me the right way again!"

* * *

**Notes:** A bright spot of fluff in the midst of angst. xD It was the only appropriate thing I had for Valentine's Day. Also, that _shakuhachi _will be seen again when I get around to posting the next chapter fic. x3 (Which will be sometime far in the future, I want to focus on this challenge for awhile before posting a new chapter story. Maybe in the summer or fall.)

…So…many…euphemisms. None intentional this time, but it was hard to write this without giggling. ._. Oh English language, why do you torment me so? (Or perhaps I should be asking my gutter mind that.)

Yugi, you're so silly, getting jealous already. And you need to flirt more often. u_u *prods him*


	16. Facade: Angst, G

**Theme:** 016- Facade; for 100_chances  
**Rating: **G  
**Genre:** Angst  
**Parings:** 'Atemu' x Yugi  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Despite it being what he wanted, he knew it wasn't right.  
**Note: **This is a sequel to _theme 014: If we never meet again_.

* * *

Atemu trailed silently behind the chattering group of his friends, an unseen ghost gliding over the pavement. In front of him, he could hear Honda making a joke about Jounouchi and laughter in return – along with an indignant outburst from the subject of the joke. And in the midst of them Atemu could see Yugi, chuckling with them. He frowned slightly, wondering if they honestly believed that laughing person was the true Yugi Mutou.

Because that was not the same person Atemu had sat beside last night. Today Yugi looked perfectly happy, no sign of tears, no hint of pain. His friends hadn't seen what Atemu had seen, had no way of knowing it was all an act…

They rounded a corner and Jounouchi bounded ahead. Atemu recognized the building in front of them as Jounouchi's apartment. _His father must not be home, _he thought. _Otherwise Jounouchi wouldn't be inviting them over. _

The thoughts didn't keep him occupied for long. However hard he tried to distract himself, he always returned to focus on Yugi. Inside the apartment, Yugi settled himself on the couch and Atemu sat down beside him. He glanced over and resisted the urge to try calling Yugi's name for the hundredth time. He had tried all day, hoping for a reaction, but never got one. So he settled for scooting closer, pretending as if Yugi did know he was there, pretending that at any moment Yugi would turn and wrap his arms around him and he could hold him the way he used to. Unconsciously, Atemu leaned in and his ghostly body brushed through Yugi's shoulder. Yugi shivered and jumped up, raising one hand to his shoulder uncomfortably.

"Something wrong, Yugi?" Honda asked.

"No…there was just a sudden cold draft."

Atemu felt a sudden sharp pressure; an almost sick feeling as he realized: _He doesn't even want me near him. _

"Crappy apartment, crappy ventilation, what can you do?" Jounouchi asked, bringing in a set of mis-matched mugs with teabags. "Anzu said the water will be ready in a minute."

"I'm not sure it's the ventilation," Yugi said hesitantly. "I've been feeling weird cold flashes all day. And last night too."

"Maybe you're being haunted," Honda suggested. Jounouchi waved frantically at him from behind Yugi's back, but it was too late.

And Atemu, having not taken his eyes off Yugi for a second, saw the façade crumble. For an instant, Yugi's face twisted. He struggled to hide it before anybody noticed, but there was still a sliver of the raw pain in his eyes that he couldn't vanquish, and Honda realized what – and who – he'd inadvertently brought up.

"Or maybe you're just catching a cold," he said, trying to cover his mistake. "You know, some people get cold flashes before they get sick…"

"Yeah," Yugi said faintly. "That's probably it." Still, he glanced back at the couch, his eyes staring straight through Atemu and past him.

There was a whistle in the kitchen. Honda dashed to help Anzu with the tea. Jounouchi immediately found something to look at in the opposite corner, and Yugi, grateful for the moment of privacy, sighed and flopped back down on the couch. He glanced to the side, and then slowly reached out. While the air still felt chilled, the cold draft was gone.

"…Silly," he muttered under his breath. "He's not there."

_I'm here,_ Atemu answered him, now standing beside the couch where Yugi couldn't reach. _But…I shouldn't be, should I? _

"You most certainly should not!" A new voice interrupted his thoughts, making him jump and turn to see Mahaado, a ghostly figure the same as himself, looking appropriately authoritative in his royal robes and standing there with his arms folded.

"Mahaado," he said, somewhat guiltily.

"You told us you only wanted to see him again. It has been hours."

"I'm sorry, I…" Atemu glanced over his shoulder. Yugi was still staring at the place on the couch with a mix of disappointment and sad acceptance.

"Atemu, we warned you about this," Mahaado said, pulling his attention back to him. "We told you not to let yourself get attached. You promised us you would return!"

"I know, but I…"

"So now you go back on your word? That is how little your family and friends mean to you?"

Atemu recoiled, stung. "Mahaado…why would you say that? You know I care for you all."

Mahaado's expression gentled. "I know. But I also know how strong your attachment to Yugi is, and if you do not let him go, you will become a wandering spirit. Do you understand? We do not want to see you lose yourself that way. And I will say whatever I have to to save you."

He knew arguing would be pointless, but the excuse slipped between his lips anyway: "But Yugi is my–"

"Yugi," Mahaado said firmly, "is a human. He is a living mortal, and you are a spirit. You do not belong in his world. He does not want you in his world, you saw how uncomfortable your presence made him feel!"

"He would want me!" Atemu snapped before he could stop himself. "You're wrong, if Yugi knew I was here, he would want me! He loves me! And if I could find some way to contact him, I would tell him, I love him as well–"

"So this is how you treat your love?" Mahaado demanded, his temper flaring again.

Atemu's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"You claim you love him. So you would contact him, would rekindle feelings he is perhaps trying to lock away? Have you ever considered that perhaps he is healing and trying to move on? And you would cause him to hold onto his feelings for you – would follow him for the rest of his life so that he is unable to ever love another? You would deprive him of happiness, of the possibility of a family, all because you cannot bear to let him go?"

Stunned, Atemu took a step back, one foot passing through the side of the couch. "N-no…I meant…"

"You love him, so you would condemn him to a life of obligation to a ghost? A person he cannot touch or feel or even talk to, yet knows is there? A life of knowing if he ever wanted something more, that he would leave you to wander the Earth alone? Is that what you want for him?"

"No Mahaado–" He tried to plead, using the old cliché excuse: "You don't understand."

"I understand love, Atemu. I have seen too many spirits succumb to it. I will not lose my friend to it as well." He reached out. "Come back to our world. You belong with us, not here."

"But Yugi–"

"Will be fine without you."

Atemu looked back over his shoulder again. The tea had been brought out, Yugi was smiling again and sipping from his mug. But he had seen him the night before…which was Yugi's true self? Was he perhaps both? Both hurting…and yet moving on at the same time? Maybe he was working toward a day when he wouldn't cry, when he wouldn't need to whisper to Atemu to get him through the night. Maybe someday, the thought of Atemu wouldn't bring sadness to his eyes anymore.

Did he really have the right to interfere?

"Atemu?"

"I'll go back." He turned away from Yugi. "I'll go back with you."

Mahaado looked as if he was about to speak, but before he could Atemu had already vanished.

He had to go before he lost sight of the logic of Mahaado's argument. Of course he couldn't follow Yugi for the rest of his life, he'd known that, yet hadn't cared. If he was going to let go, it had to be now. There would be no last look, no last moment. There couldn't be.

In the apartment, Yugi felt the air abruptly grow warmer, but it didn't feel any more comfortable. It felt…lonely. Surrounded by his friends, he suddenly felt empty, and stared down at his mug in helpless confusion. What had just happened?

"Yugi? Are you alright?" Anzu asked.

He pulled on a smile and looked up. "I'm fine."

* * *

**Notes:** adfj;lk. This is the sound of a displeased Chey. This theme fought me the whole way. It sounded much smoother in my head. Ah well, it could certainly be worse. I'm still really looking forward to posting the next several. x3 _They _didn't fight me at all. *prods this one*

Anyway, guess what? I'm taking requests! Fandoms, pairings, and plots of your choice! (Though, hopefully, fandoms that I do know a little about. xD) So if you've got any fic ideas you've wanted to read, sequels you've wished I would write, or just want to help me get out of my writer's block, now's your chance. **Details/linkage on my profile!** Please join in? =3


	17. But not today: Romance&Angst, PG, AU

**Theme:** 017- But not today; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **PG**  
Genre:** Romance/angst**  
Parings:** 'Atemu' x Yugi**  
Warnings:** AU.**  
Spoilers:** None**  
Summary:** Someday things would change, probably for the worse, but there was no point in worrying about it now.

* * *

Yugi drew the line at hairspray. "Mom, the gel is fine," he argued, swatting her hand away.

"I just thought you'd like to make sure it looks fine all night," she replied, brandishing the can. She'd been fussing over him like this for the last hour.

"It's worked all day every other day of my life, it'll work for a few hours tonight," he said, scooting out of range.

"Fine, have it your way. Don't come crying to me when your hair is in your face. A festival is a lot different than a regular date."

"Yeah yeah…" He checked his watch. "I have to go, I'm meeting Atema at her house and we're walking to the festival."

"Have fun." She waved as he left the house. Once in the car he sighed in relief and drove across town to pull up in front of another house. Honking the horn, he slouched in the seat until someone exited, closed the front door, and sprinted to the car. Pulling the door shut, Atemu hissed, "Drive!"

Ten minutes later, leaving the car in a mostly deserted parking lot, they walked down the sidewalk together toward a restaurant. Atemu reached for Yugi's hand. "You know…one of these days we're going to have to tell them. Making up excuses and pretending to go to festivals won't work forever."

"I know. Mom's been hinting I need to bring 'Atema' over so she can meet you."

"My parents have been hinting the same thing. Tonight they were going on about how impolite it was that I made you come pick me up. Sooner or later they'll want a formal sit-down."

"And even if we avoid that, eventually someone we know will see us and mention it to one of our families and it'll come out anyway. I think we should tell them before it comes out like that."

"I know." Atemu sighed. "But I like the way things are. I like _us_. I don't want them getting involved." Yugi felt his fingers tighten on his hand.

"We'll tell them soon. It doesn't have to be right now."

"And maybe it will go well."

"Maybe." He tried to hide the doubt in his voice as they fell into a brooding silence.

"Ah…the restaurant." Atemu nodded at the building they were approaching.

Yugi slowed and stopped walking. "Atemu?"

He stopped too, turning. "Hmn?"

"I don't care…what our parents will say when they find out. I don't care if they get angry or don't approve. I'm glad you're here. I'm glad I'm here with you…nothing else really matters."

He smiled softly and stepped forward to take both his hands.

"I agree."

Yugi smiled up at him and leaned in, tilting his head as Atemu bent to meet him, and their lips connected. His eyes fluttered shut.

"Mn…Atemu…"

"Yugi…" He released his hands so that he could hug his partner close, nuzzling his neck and planting butterfly kisses on his cheek and ear. Yugi trembled, snuggling against his chest.

"Atemu…how hungry are you?" He finally murmured.

"Not very much," he whispered.

"Another walk around the block first?"

"Sounds great."

Smiling, kissing one last time, they began walking again, bodies brushing every time they moved, hands firmly clasped.

At some point they knew this freedom would vanish. Inevitably they would have to reveal to their families their secret and face whatever backlash might follow.

But not today.

* * *

**Notes: **Yeah, I know the whole our-families-forbid-it thing is overdone, but it's _cute_, damnit. I'm only human. D= Which means you'll be seeing this sort of storyline again. ^^;;;


	18. So many things: Angst, G

**Theme:** 018- So many things to do today and not enough time to do them; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **G**  
Genre:** Angst**  
Parings:** 'Atemu' x Yugi implied**  
Warnings:** None.**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **It just wasn't time yet.  
**Notes:** This is the sequel to _Traces_. Check my profile for the link.

* * *

"Yugi, could you give me a hand here?"

He looked up from the television to see his grandfather struggling with three large laundry baskets and jumped up. "Sure Grandpa."

"Thank you," Sugoroku said in relief as Yugi took one and lessened the weight on his arms. "The amount of things your mother left for me to do today…doesn't she know I have a business to run?"

"The store is closed today."

"I could be doing inventory! I could be doing the accounts, I could be dusting the shelves, anything but _laundry_."

"Mom's really busy, Grandpa. I'm sure she appreciates the help," Yugi said, following him down the hall and stairs to the laundry room.

"There's just not enough time in the day," he grumbled. "I had a list of things I wanted to get done today, and here I am collecting dirty socks and separating darks and lights…not to mention having to go on a scavenger hunt just to _find _the laundry, no thanks to you!"

Yugi frowned. "Er…what do you mean Grandpa?"

"This!" He held up a wrinkled black sleeveless shirt. "I found this under your pillows…God knows how long it's been there, you must have tossed your pillows on top of it and forgotten all about it–"

"Grandpa, wait, don't wash that!" Yugi dropped the basket he was holding, lunging for the shirt. His grandfather pulled it out of reach.

"Yugi, what has gotten in to you?"

"You can't wash that, Grandpa."

"Of course I can, heaven can tell it needs it."

"But that's–" He stopped. _Still_, even all these months later, it hurt to say the name.

"It's…?"

"…It's important, okay? I don't want you to wash it."

"Yugi, I know you like these black tank tops, but you have a whole drawer full. How is this one any more important?"

He lowered his eyes, sinking to the floor to pick up some towels that had fallen out of the basket he'd dropped, and mumbled his answer.

"What was that?"

"It was…it was Atemu's."

Sugoroku didn't respond for a moment, watching his grandson kneel and carefully arrange the towels in the basket to avoid looking up. Then he looked down at the crumpled shirt.

"You two shared clothes…technically all of your clothes were his."

"But he was the last person to wear that one." Yugi, unable to avoid it any longer, stood up and set the basket on the table beside the washer.

"How could you tell something like that?"

"I just could."

"Yugi…"

"It…had his scent, okay?"

His grandfather was silent for a moment, watching as Yugi refused to meet his eyes. Finally he said, "But even if it did remind you of him, it's all musty now. Any other scent must be long gone."

"Yeah, but…I don't want it washed. I didn't wash it before because it was all I had left. Even after all this time, it still feels like it's got part of him in it." His fingers tightened, gripping the towel under them. "I'll wash it eventually, Grandpa. I just…I need to hang on to him a little longer."

"I understand what he meant to you," his grandfather said gently. "But it's been almost a year. Don't you think maybe it's time to let him go?"

"It is, but I'm not ready." Yugi looked up at him, pleading with his eyes. "I'm not ready yet."

Any other time, Sugoroku would have tried to talk him out of it. Would have sat down with him and explained that this wasn't healthy. He had done it before. Had forced Yugi to get up, had talked him into going out with his friends, had given him countless pointless chores to keep him from lying on his bed all day in silence. But the sight of the pain in his expression was too much. He had rarely seen Yugi look so distraught at the prospect of something being taken from him, and didn't have the heart to go through with it. Now he understood all those hours Yugi had spent lying motionless on the bed. Suffering, grieving, clinging to the only thing that helped. Even if forcing him to let go _would _be the right thing to do, he knew he could never do it.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, holding the shirt out. "I didn't know."

Yugi hugged it to his chest silently for a long moment before murmuring, "Thank you Grandpa."

He smiled gently and turned away to begin loading the washer. Yugi took the moment of privacy to press the shirt to his face. He knew his grandfather was right. And silently he told himself the lie he told himself every night to ease his conscience.

_…Just a little longer._

* * *

**Notes:** I was always rather fond of _Traces_, so I decided to write a follow-up. Because the world needs more angst. =D Well, angst of the Puzzleshippy sort, anyway. x3  
Happy birthday Gin-Gin! And Inuconen! I hope you both have a great day!


	19. Scars: General, G, AU

**Theme:** 019- Scars; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **G**  
Genre:** General**  
Parings:** YamixYugi**  
Warnings:** AU**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **True love should be based upon heart and not looks, because looks will always fade.

* * *

The nurse bent and shook the young man's shoulder. He awoke with a start on the waiting room bench, looking up at her instantly. "What's…?"

"Atemu-san is awake now if you would like to visit him."

Yugi's heart leapt and he rose to his feet. "Yes, yes, I would."

"Room 703, down that hall. You may visit as long as you like, but do not make him talk or move."

"Of course not. Thank you." He took off at a stride, his heart pounding. Reaching the door, he peered inside.

"Yami…?" He took a step in, eyes falling on the motionless figure in the bed. "Yami, it's me." He took another step, making his way to the side of the cot. As much as he wanted to see him, it still scared him a little to see Yami lying in the hospital. It brought back nightmarish memories of seeing him lying on the stretcher in the ambulance after the fire, so badly burnt that when someone finally answered Yugi's demands to tell him how Yami was, they told him to prepare for his death.

But he wasn't dead. Bandages covered the recent surgery on his face and head, his eyes left uncovered enough to see. He had them cracked open, and Yugi could see his purple irises moving. Yugi met his eyes, and he saw the corners of Yami's lips twitch slightly upwards.

"Hi there," Yugi whispered, pulling over a chair. "The nurse told me you were awake. It looks like the surgery went well." He reached out, gently touching his fingers on his left hand, which weren't bandaged. "Blink twice if you can hear me, okay?"

Slowly, Yami blinked twice, then his lips parted and he breathed, "I…I'm glad…to see you."

"Shh, no, don't talk," Yugi said, tears coming to his eyes at the sound of his voice. "The nurse said you shouldn't talk."

"I want to." His eyes kept a firm lock on Yugi's. His gaze had lost none of its strength. "I…"

"No, no. You need to rest. We can talk later."

Yami closed his eyes and sighed. Yugi took the opportunity to wipe his own eyes. He knew Yami was recovering. He had pestered the doctors and nurses so much that by now they knew to give him regular updates, and all signs seemed positive. But it was hard to tell sometimes. The burns on his arms left his skin looking raw and twisted; the doctors had decided to graft them later, as the ones on his face and chest were of more concern. His hair had been shaved away for access to wounds, a startling change compared to his former head of multi-colored locks. Before the surgery, half of his face had looked almost inhuman. It looked smoother under the bandages now, but the areas around the surgical wounds were red and swollen. Even though Yugi had been assured that Yami was healing, and he knew it would take months, it still hurt to see him and know he couldn't magically fix him.

He tried not to cry around Yami, knowing it would distress him, but every time he saw him he'd feel the familiar sting. Even now, a week later, Yugi had spared few tears for the belongings and house they lost. From the moment he saw the smoke, the moment he saw the fire engines heading for their street and got the sick feeling in his chest…from the moment he arrived at the street corner, panting from running from his office, to see the house engulfed in flames…all he cared about was Yami. When he first saw his body carried out and was told the worst, all he wanted was to be gone with him. Losing belongings hurt, but all of Yugi's tears were for his fear of losing Yami.

"Yugi?"

His eyes snapped open to see Yami looking up at him.

"Sorry." He smiled and wiped his face again. "I'm just…glad you're okay."

"Yugi, I…"

"Shh, we can talk later. There's nothing you need to say right now, just rest."

Yami's eyes flicked to his arms and he struggled to speak anyway. "It won't…be the same."

"That's okay. We have insurance…I've been back to the house, some things were salvageable. We'll find a new place, we'll buy new things. And…you're alive. That's all that matters to me."

"I meant I…won't be the same. I won't look...the way you're used to."

Yugi gazed down at him. His hair would grow back. The bandages would be removed. The skin grafts would help. Perhaps plastic surgery could hide a few of the biggest scars down the line if they could afford it. But it was true, he would never look the same.

"Has that been bothering you all this time? Yami, that doesn't matter," Yugi whispered. "That has never mattered."

His lips curled up as far as he could make them, his eyes shining. "Thank you, Yugi."

Yugi smiled back, but gasped when he saw Yami trying to move his hand. "Yami, no, don't move. You'll hurt yourself."

Yami didn't listen as he inched his hand to the left, ignoring the pain. Yugi stayed still as he felt Yami slowly lower his hand over Yugi's that was still resting on the bed. Despite the layers of scratchy gauze over his palm, Yami's body heat still came through, and Yugi could feel the warmth on his skin. He smiled, eyes filling with tears he didn't bother to blink back, and he gently placed his other hand over Yami's fingers, where there were no burns.

"It's going to be okay," he said softly. "You're going to be okay."

"I know," Yami replied, just as softly. "I have you."

Yugi smiled wider. "That's right."

* * *

**Notes:** Yami's good-looking and everything, (and I'm sure Yugi agrees), but I don't believe their relationship was started or ever based on looks. "Atemu" is Yami's last name. I'm too lazy to think of a different one. ^^;  
Happy St. Patrick's Day!


	20. In the heat of the moment: Angst, R

**Theme:** 020- In the heat of the moment; for 100_chances  
**Rating: **R**  
Genre:** Angst**  
Parings:** Yami no YugixYugi  
**Warnings:** Semi-explicit slash**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **They'd been in too deep from the first kiss, the first touch…the first time their eyes met. They had been damned from the beginning.

* * *

_Is this…right? _

Yugi had asked him that earlier. His brain had never been in such a lightning-fast jumble, comprehending the billions of signals Yugi's touch sent through him, and yet he still found some small place inside himself to worry over the question.  
_  
__Is it right? _

After asking, Yugi hadn't waited for an answer; he had instead reclaimed his partner's lips and prevented any chance at speech. And the spirit wondered, deep down, if Yugi had even wanted an answer at all. Because the proper answer, the correct answer…was no. No, it wasn't right. No, they shouldn't give in any further; they were already in too deep…

But they'd been in too deep from the first kiss, the first touch…the first time their eyes met. They had been damned from the beginning…it was inevitable that the fire would catch up.

Now as their bodies lay entwined, as his ears were filled with the sounds of gasps and moans and sobs and whispers…he wished that Yugi had never asked.

_"Ai…aibou…"_

"Mou hitori…no…boku…" _  
_  
His hands clutched Yugi to him, embracing him, _needing _him. He could taste the heat between them and felt the desperate pounding of Yugi's heart against his body. Yugi's fingers tightened on his skin as they clung and strained and the forbidden words slipped between his lips: _"I love you Aibou, I love you…" __  
_  
No, it wasn't right. If only it was purely physical. If only it was nothing more than chemicals and hormones, then there would have been hope. If they had never let emotions get involved, perhaps they could walk away from this situation – from each other – without getting hurt. Instead, they had stupidly, blindly fallen in love…the most foolish of all mistakes.

He knew the answer he should have given Yugi. The truth…that their destinies doomed them to separate futures and that _this_...that caring this much...could never be right.

But this was the moment to lie.__

"I…love you…I love you too, m-mou…hi…" __

"Aibou…" 

This was the moment to fall and crash and surrender to the flames…when right and wrong blurred and drifted away in the smoke, and they could pretend.

Could pretend there would be no consequences, no sunrise, no world to have to face.

Could pretend their cruel destiny was nothing but an illusion, and that they held forever…even if only for a moment.

* * *

**Notes: **Mind room!sex FTW, Y/Y? Oh come on, this theme was just _asking _for it.  
…Um, I have no other words. ^^;;; Except to say that it was a rather amusing challenge to edit this while in the school library. I kept having to minimize the window to prevent random strangers from catching a glimpse of Puzzlesmut. xD


	21. The repetitive dream: Fluff, PG13, AUish

**Theme:** 021- The repetitive dream; for 100_chances  
**Rating: **PG-13**  
Genre:** Fluff**  
Parings:** YamixYugi**  
Warnings:** AU-ish**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **The pillow might have been the catalyst that brought them together, but that didn't mean Yami didn't have some issues with it.

This is a sequel to previous fics, so please check my profile for the links to its prequels.

* * *

As Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi, his head sank down into the pillow. He sighed contentedly, snuggled closer to Yugi's warmth, and tried to bask in thoughtless bliss. But two seconds later he had to open his eyes to check.

The damn thing was _still _staring at him.

"Yugi?" He asked.

"Mn?"

"When are you going to get rid of this pillow with my face on it?"

Yugi, his face buried against Yami's chest, mumbled something unintelligible.

"What?" Yami asked.

"I said, why?"

"Because it's creeping me out."

"It's cute."

"It's a picture of me."

"Don't you want me to find you cute?" He asked sleepily, eyes still closed.

"Well, yes, but why do you need a pillow with a picture of me when you have the real thing?"

"I like the pillow. It's comfortable. And it was a gift."

"You aren't even using it."

Yugi finally lifted his head, propping himself up. "Yami, how do you even have the energy to debate this right now? Aren't you exhausted?"

"Yes, I am, thank you, but it's staring at me! How would you feel if I went out and got a pillow with a picture of your face on it and made you stare at it when you spend the night at my house?"

Yugi sighed and curled back against him. "Just go to sleep."

"No, I want an answer, what does that pillow have that I don't?"

"It's quiet and lets me go to sleep when I'm worn out after spending three hours with my boyfriend."

"Was it really three?" He asked.

"Yes, it was three!" Yugi said defensively, before blushing as he realized Yami was teasing. He hid his face again.

"Yugi, come on," Yami said, refusing to let it go. "Are you really going to make me lay here and look at myself staring back every time I stay over? I'm going to start having nightmares. Do you _want _me to have reoccurring nightmares?"

"Go to sleep. Argue in the morning."

"I can't sleep with myself staring at me."

Yugi dragged himself up, yanked Yami forward, grabbed the pillow, turned it around to display the solid-coloured back, released Yami, and dropped back to the bed. "Happy now?"

"Well it's not in the same position as it was before, so it's not as comfortable–"

Yugi nipped his skin in retaliation. Yami winced as Yugi opened one eye and grinned at him. Yami, noticing the proximity of Yugi's teeth to two rather sensitive places on his chest, immediately gave in.

"And it's fine. Perfectly fine."

"Good." Yugi kissed the spot he'd bitten in apology, snuggling closer. "Good night Yami."

"Good night Yugi."

* * *

**Notes:** After the angst lately, here's some pointless flirty fluff. xD Three of the five themes in this row are actually quite light-hearted...that's unusual for me.

Happy Good Friday to those who celebrate it, and I hope my Jewish friends are having a happy Passover. I do realize there's something vaguely wrong about posting a fic that contains clearly-alluded-to male/male sex on a Christian holiday...and I'm okay with that. xD

For Easter I'll be doing an art post. Mostly original characters from my novel(s), but I'd still love to hear your comments. I'll be posting a link in the updates for the day on Sunday in case you want to bop over and take a look. x3


	22. Impressionable: Angst&Romance, PG, AU

**Theme:** 022- Impressionable youth; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **PG**  
Genre:** Angst/romance**  
Parings:** 'Atemu'xYugi**  
Warnings:** AU**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **A broken voice, broken life, broken body...the only thing Atemu had held together was his heart and now Yugi knew he was going to shatter that as well.

* * *

There was the gentle click of a latch being slid back, and then one of the wall panels was pushed open. Atemu sat up on his bed to smile at the visitor, who silently closed the panel and plunged the small room back into darkness, except for the flicker of a candle he was holding. Setting it upon a candle holder on the wall, the young man who had entered tried to smile back.

"Hi Atemu. How are you?"

"Hi Yugi. Not bad. And you?"

"Fine." Yugi reached out to hug him and Atemu hugged him back as tightly as he always did, but as he pulled away he looked troubled. Normally he loved their hugs, but tonight the closeness caused him to realize that something was wrong. Yugi's posture, muscles, and grip were all tense and unfamiliar. "Yugi…is something bothering you?"

The strange, stilted quality of Atemu's voice was nothing new. He had spoken that way all his life, pronouncing words in unusual ways and taking breaths in the middle of sentences. But even past the choppiness Yugi could hear suspicion in his tone. There was no point in hiding it; Yugi knew he had to give him the news either way, but he had hoped to put it off. "Yes…there is." He sat down across from Atemu, sighing. "Mother is sending me away."

Atemu's eyes, the only part of him Yugi could clearly see by candlelight, looked devastated. "Why?"

"She says it is because I will be of age soon and she wants me to learn a trade. In reality…she found out I have been visiting you."

"But you have always been so careful, all these years. How did she–?"

He shook his head. "I am not sure…someone must have seen me coming here and told her. Probably one of the other servants. She fears that if the master of the house finds out, he will take matters into his own hands. She thinks it safer if I just leave under the guise of becoming an apprentice."

"When do you leave?" Atemu asked, his throat constricting.

"Tomorrow morning."

The look of devastation deepened. Yugi could see his silhouette trembling, and found himself remembering the first time he had seen Atemu. He himself had only been four years old, wandering about the mansion by himself one evening to avoid washing dishes with his mother, one of the housemaids. Curiosity had drawn him to a staircase in the back of the house where nobody ever went, where he heard the sound of someone crying. After some poking around in the basement at the foot of the stairs, he had discovered a panel with another panel behind it. There was a sliding lock on the outside of the second, and behind it a hidden room and a crib holding a small boy a few years younger than himself. He was out of bounds and sure to get in trouble if his mother found out, but even then he felt something was not right, and asked his mother later why the child was kept hidden and alone. To his surprise she had not told him off. Instead she just ordered him fiercely:

_That is the master's business. You must never speak to anyone about it, do you understand? I forbid you to ever go back to that room. Forget what you saw._

But he had gone back anyway. It took several years to understand that Atemu was the master's son, born to a woman who had supposedly killed herself by jumping from a cliff. Eavesdropping on the servants who knew the secret had told a very different story – that of a mistress who had died in childbirth, whose body the master had placed to convince everyone she had died falling from the cliff to the rocky valley below, and of an illegitimate son he kept hidden from the world.

A son who was now a teenager, staring at him, looking crushed and betrayed.

"So why are you here?" Atemu finally asked. "You should be asleep. Resting for the big day."

"I wanted to tell you, so you would know where I went."

"Well, you told me."

Yugi touched his cheek. "I will come back for you."

Atemu looked away. "Why bother?"

"Atemu, we swore to each other when we were little that one day we would leave here. Together. You think I have forgotten that promise? That I would really leave here forever without you?"

"We were children then."

"And that made it mean any less?" Yugi frowned.

"No. It was just…easier to believe, then." Atemu glanced up at him. "I thought that dream could be real. But now, I am not so sure. Learning a trade can take years. I will be of age in less than two years, and I do not…I do not know what Father will do with me once I become an adult. I might not…be here much longer."

Yugi shook his head. "No. He would not."

"I think he would."

"He cannot!" Yugi almost snapped.

"He is the most powerful man in the village. He can do anything he wants. He can pay enough people to be sure...that nobody knows."

Yugi refused to listen. "Then why did he not kill you as a baby? Why has he always made sure you survived your sicknesses, why has he not let you starve? He _will _keep you alive, and I _will _come back for you!"

"I think he has only kept me alive out of guilt and fear. He may be cold, but not enough to kill a baby. Besides, it was easy to claim my mother had...jumped from the nearby cliff. If a baby had been found, or if anyone had even known she was pregnant at all...it would have been clear it was more than an accident or suicide. It was easier to pretend she was...never pregnant and to lock me away. But I think, as I have grown up, he has begun to lose whatever bit of compassion he had. I..." He broke off, coughing. This was one of the longest pieces of speech Yugi had ever heard from him, but Yugi could tell by the look in his eyes that he did not want to be interrupted. "I...have noticed changes. Every year I suspect he is less and less inclined to make sure I survive. Once I become an adult, he will probably be able to convince himself I am a threat…and will come up with a reason to do away with me."

The words were bad enough; the acceptance in his voice was worse. Yugi could not listen any longer and burst out: "Atemu, no. That will not happen. You cannot let that happen!"

"And what would you have me do, run away? I need your help, Yugi. I cannot run away on my own. Father would never let me escape the grounds, and I...do not even know my way around the building. I would be caught. I am not strong. I could not fight off anyone who tried to stop me."

Yugi wanted to tell Atemu to stop acting like a victim. He wanted to tell him to fight. Unfortunately, he knew that Atemu was telling the truth. He was weak, made only more so by chronic illness, and – Yugi knew – too unfamiliar with the property to escape unseen. Yugi was the only person who could help him, and he was leaving.

"Atemu, I do not have the ability to get you out of here right now. I need money and time to make plans. But I will think of something, and then I will come back," he said and touched his shoulder. Atemu flinched and shrugged his hand off.

"Just go," he mumbled, turning away. "Just leave. I will be fine on my own."

Yugi's eyes filled with tears. "Atemu, please understand–"

"Go away!"

"…Alright." Yugi backed up toward the swinging panel. "Good…good-bye then."

He received no answer from the other, and turned away sadly. He supposed he could not have expected any less. Of course Atemu would be hurt, he had every right to be, but did he not realize that Yugi was hurting just as much?

Then a quiet voice drifted back. "Yugi, wait."

When Yugi turned, Atemu threw himself into his arms, shaking with sobs. Yugi's arms, his touch, his hugs…they held everything Atemu had been deprived of. None of the servants wanted anything to do with him, none of them ever spent time with him or even talked to him. They took care of him as a baby and brought him food and medicine, that was all. This room was the only home he knew, and even in summer it was damp and chilly. No matter how tightly he wrapped himself in blankets, the cold never left. Yugi had been the first person to hug him, to hold him and give him any kind of warmth. He was the person who finally taught him to speak and told him what the world outside was like. The first person to make the loneliness go away; to bring him conversation and laughter…and love.

"Yugi…you have been everything to me. Please do not forget me."

"I would never," Yugi whispered, stroking his hair as his tears escaped. "I promise, I will never forget. Just wait for me, alright? We will have our dream. I will make sure to come back before you are an adult, and we will escape together. I will have a trade, and I can teach it to you, and we can move to a new village and start new lives. Just like we planned." He looked up, meeting Atemu's gaze and trying to smile reassuringly, and in his face Atemu saw the pain he was trying to conceal. He hated to see Yugi look so hurt, but could do nothing to comfort him. Deep down Atemu doubted he would live to see that dream, but right now it was the only comfort either of them had, so he stared back, overwhelmed with feelings he did not understand, and whispered, "I will wait."

Yugi's hands were gentle on Atemu's back, caressing, holding the young man whose age he could sometimes barely believe. In some ways, Atemu seemed so much younger than him, far younger than only a two-year difference. But in his eyes he looked ancient; old, deep eyes that were trained on his, with some sort of longing in them. Yugi leaned in, answering their silent request, brushing Atemu's dry lips with his own. With a whimper of desperation, Atemu returned the kiss, completing it, forgetting for a split second everything he was losing in a rush of new emotions.

When they finally broke apart, Yugi whispered into his hair, "I love you, Atemu."

Trembling, Atemu nodded. "I l-love you too, I…Yugi…" Overpowered by tears, unable to say what he knew he should say, he shoved Yugi away from him and curled in the corner, hiding his face so that he would not have to see him leave or see the empty place he would leave behind.

Picking up the candle, Yugi backed out of the room and closed the door. Hands shaking, he pulled the latch to lock it and took off at a run.

Back in the room, blinded by darkness, Atemu finally murmured the words he had been unable to bring himself to voice to Yugi.

"Good-bye."

* * *

**Notes:** Somewhat long notes this time. xD But first, a request: is anyone out there knowledgeable about the mental health care system of Japan, particularly in regards to insurance? Because if you are, I need your expertise. I've found plenty of information on the national health insurance they have, (which sounds pretty damn spiffy), but they never mention whether or not it applies to therapy/prescription drugs or how much the fees are. The information will save the upcoming chapter fic that is currently trying to crash and burn on me. Please drop me a line if you think you can help.

I actually got the idea for this from the first volume of Kindaichi Case Files. x3 And I decided to make Atemu the unwanted son just because younger-than-Yugi!Atemu is one of my guilty pleasures. I might be setting myself up to be laughed at here, but I have to say…I'm actually really happy with this theme. I was _excited _to post it. (At least, I was until my computer flipped out in the middle of posting which got me all irritated and rather dampened the excitement...but still.) The excitement actually overrode the nervousness and that hasn't happened…in a very, very long time. Part of me wants to take the premise and add more subplots and more twists and turn it into a chapter fic, (or even an original story). However, I'm curious to see what you guys think of this one since it's very AU and normally my AU ones aren't so far off from the canon world. Writing this has made me want to do up some drastically-AU ones for other themes. Reviews are ALWAYS welcome, but they'll be a bit more welcome than usual this time. x3


	23. Enigma: Humor, PG13, AU

**Theme:** 023- Enigma; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Genre:** Humor**  
Parings:** YamixYugi**  
Warnings:** AU**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **Yugi faces the consequences of the night before.

* * *

"I don't think it's working."

"Maybe the spoon needs to be colder."

"We put it in the freezer for ten minutes, it must be cold enough!"

"Well, then what else do you suggest, if you're such an expert?"

Yami lowered his chin and folded his arms. "I don't see where you get the right to be sarcastic with me," he said, "seeing as how _you _gave this to me."

Yugi turned away quickly on the pretense of putting the spoon back in the freezer, but not before Yami noticed him grinning.

"Oh, I'm glad you're so pleased with yourself!" Yami scowled. "I hope you'll be just as pleased when I come home and tell you I didn't get the job because the manager of a law office didn't want to hire someone who showed up to his interview with a hickey on his neck!"

"You're overreacting," Yugi said patiently.

"I am not." He held up the mirror again and lifted his chin, studying the dark bruise. "It's like an enigma."

"Er…do you mean 'stigma'?"

"Yeah, whatever, that." He rubbed at it irritably. "I mean that I'm never going to get this job with this mark on my neck. And I really wanted it too, it had great pay and good hours…"

"What if I try to kiss it and make it better?" Yugi asked, wrapping his arms around Yami's waist and brushing his lips over his throat, hoping it would placate him.

"Last time I checked, kissing is what caused this whole problem," Yami growled.

"Hmn, and here I thought kissing was only the _beginning _of what caused it," he teased, eyes glowing playfully.

Yami frowned at him and maintained his stoic, unamused expression. Yugi switched to his innocent voice.

"Yami…are you telling me you really regret last night?"

"No, I just regret that I didn't think to check in the mirror before falling asleep. I bet if we'd put the ice pack on it then, it'd be gone by now."

"It's not my fault you fell asleep."

"I say it is, it was your fault I was so tired."

"And that's bad?"

Yami bopped him on the head with the mirror. "You're impossible. Go get the spoon and let's keep working on this so that I don't have to make up some ridiculous story for my potential boss as to why I'm wearing a scarf in the heat of summer. Somehow I doubt that the real explanation is appropriate for a place of business."

Yugi released him, resigned to the fact that Yami wanted to hold a grudge. He supposed he had every right to, Yugi had known how important today's interview would be, and of course he knew the consequences of prolonged neck-kissing. Not that Yami had made any move to _stop _him…but Yugi guessed that right now was not the best time to point that out. "Alright, just tell me…how long will I be sleeping on the couch for if you lose the job?"

"Depends."

"Depends on what?"

"I reserve the right to decide _that _at a later date."

"Not even a hint?"

"No, I want the threat hanging over your head all day." He held the mirror back up and rubbed at the hickey. But he couldn't muster up the same cold tone as before, and one corner of his mouth twitched upwards slightly.

Yugi backed away and turned toward the freezer, smiling a little. Maybe he wouldn't be in the doghouse for as long as he'd thought.****

* * *

Notes: This pretty much blatant fanservice. Flirting, kissing, we-know-what-you-did-last-night…but as this is being posted to celebrate the last day of exams for my friend Kaoru, fanservice is perfectly acceptable!

I've been posting quite a bit of take-charge/seme Yugi recently, haven't I? xD And there's more to come!


	24. Ouch!: Humor&General, PG15

**Theme:** 024- Ouch!; for 100_chances  
**Rating: **PG-15**  
Genre:** Humor/general**  
Parings:** 'Atemu'xYugi  
**Warnings:** Slightly dirty humor xD**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **Jounouchi had no idea what he was overhearing, but he suspected it was something he shouldn't be.

**

* * *

  
**

"Sugoroku Jii-san!" Jounouchi burst into the store, asking with his usual zest for life, "How are you?"

"Jounouchi, one day you'll break that door coming in like that. Do you have the money to pay for it?"

Jounouchi faltered. "Um…"

Sugoroku smiled. "That was a joke. Are you looking for Yugi?"

"Yeah."

"He's upstairs with Atemu…or Yami, I never know which name I'm supposed to use. They've been holed up in his room all morning. Feel free to go on up."

"Thanks Jii-san." He bounded up the stairs. The door to Yugi's room was closed, but he could hear voices from inside, and a light slapping noise.

"Ow! Aibou!" He heard Atemu's voice yelp.

"Oh stop being a baby," Yugi's voice admonished back.

"I just don't think that's the way you're supposed to–_ owch_! Okay, isn't this supposed to be fun?"

"This is part of the fun!"

"In case you didn't know, I'm not a masochist."

Jounouchi felt his face grow hot and he took a step back. This didn't sound like a good moment to interrupt…

He heard an odd shuffling noise, the same slapping sound from before, a grunt, and then Atemu's voice again: "Aibou, I'm sure that this isn't how–"

"Yami, I know what I'm doing."

"Are you sure?"

"I think I have more experience than you do."

"I'm three thousand years old!"

"And you spent most of those years stuck inside a puzzle doing absolutely nothing."

Atemu didn't say anything, but there was a sharp intake of breath before Yugi continued, "Point is, I have more experience. And you know, it wouldn't hurt if you moved faster."

"Well I don't know what I'm doing. You're supposed to – _ow _– you're supposed to be teaching me."

"I can only teach you so much, the rest you need to learn on your own."

"You're evil."

There was a definite grin in Yugi's voice. "But you love me anyway."

Atemu didn't say anything, but seconds later Yugi released a small yelp.

"Better?" Atemu asked slyly.

"You're getting the hang of it now…"

Jounouchi, blushing furiously, flattened himself against the far wall, too afraid to interrupt and too shy to go downstairs and possibly have to explain to Sugoroku exactly why he was leaving so quickly. Then Sugoroku might come up to check on them…and what could be more embarrassing than being caught by your own grandfather? He could hardly believe what he was hearing – he knew they were dating and he supposed they'd known each other long enough to have advanced to this stage, but he had never guessed Yugi could be so _forceful_. Perhaps he had never given his friend enough credit…

A few more light slapping noises and disjointed grunts later, the dialogue had shifted back into monosyllables and mumbles. Finally, as he heard Atemu gasp "Aibou!", Jounouchi moved. He couldn't bear to stand there any longer and betray their privacy – and furthermore, had no desire to hear the 'ending' of this scene. Racing downstairs, he hollered, "Good bye Jii-san!" over his shoulder and sprinted down the sidewalk.

Sugoroku, confused, walked upstairs and knocked on the bedroom door before letting himself in. "Yugi? Atemu?"

The two looked up from where they sat on the floor, a messy pile of playing cards between them, each with a smaller stack in front of them. Atemu was holding a three of spades in the air, having been about to throw it down, Yugi's hand held poised to slap the pile of cards if necessary.

"Yes Jii-chan?"

"Jounouchi just rushed out of here with the strangest expression, what happened?"

"Jounouchi was here?" Yugi asked, as Atemu set his card down.

"Yes, he just came by a few minutes ago."

"Weird, he didn't say anything to us, he didn't even knock on the door," Atemu said, his expression the same puzzled look Yugi had.

"Huh. That boy can be very odd sometimes." Sugoroku shrugged. "Well, carry on with your game."

"Ah ha, that's right, because I'm finally winning!" Atemu said, shooting a victorious grin at Yugi.

"For now. This is only your first game."

"Yeah, but I have a good teacher."

Yugi's cheeks flushed pleasurably. "Sweet-talking me isn't going to make you win. Just put down the next card."

Sugoroku walked away, shaking his head in amusement, and behind him he heard the sound of Yugi slapping Atemu's hand away from the pile of cards, and a disappointed grunt from Atemu.

* * *

**Notes: **I know, another update so soon?? Hey, it's my Lexi-sis-in-law's birthday and I decree that warrants a post!

*evil grin* Poor Jounouchi, he had no idea what was going on. xD The game they're playing is called Rat Slap. It involves dividing the deck up so each person gets a stack and one at a time turning the top card over and adding it to the middle pile. You slap the cards when you see a matching pair, and if you slap them first you get to pick up the cards and add them to your stack. Whoever gets the most cards in their stack wins. Technically you're only supposed to lightly slap the cards, so that way nobody's hands get hurt, (since everyone is lunging for the cards at the same time, and hands invariably get slapped all the time) but Yami and Yugi are both competitive players and subscribe to the "punch everyone's hands that get in the way!" theory. Also they're playing the more extreme version, where even if someone slaps the cards first, if you hit their hand hard enough to make them take their hand off the cards, you get the cards instead. Those were the rules we played by at my school, and hence the reason I never joined in. xD

Don't get too attached to this fluffy, flirty, slightly-naughty humor, angst will return. And soon at that.


	25. Years gone past: General&Light Angst, G

**Theme:** 025- The years gone past; for 100_chances**  
Title:** When You're Far Away**  
Rating: **G**  
Genre:** General/light angst**  
Parings:** 'Atemu'xYugi**  
Warnings:** None.**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **One day he would rejoin the one he loved.**  
**

**Note:** This is the third fic in a set. Make sure to read the first two if you haven't yet; the links are up on my profile.

* * *

"Dr. Mutou…sir…_Yugi_!"

He jumped, and a sudden smattering of random letters appeared on the notes he was typing.

"What?" He turned around, irritated, even though a simple click of the backspace would erase the mistakes. "You're not supposed to use my first name."

Behind him stood a young woman, her arms folded. "Well you weren't answering to your surname. And you use mine all the time."

Yugi felt his irritation ebb, and he stretched. "That's different Amber, you're an intern. I didn't spend years in school to have interns ignore my title and call me by my first name," he replied, indignant. She picked up on the teasing.

"Okay, fine. Dr. Mutou then."

"Thank you. Now did you want something?"

"Yes. Some of the other researchers and interns are going out for coffee or drinks…we're celebrating the new magazine article coming out soon. I thought you might want to join us."

Yugi sighed. "I can't, I have work."

"It's almost ten o'clock! You've been in here working all day. What could you possibly have to still work on?"

"I have this report–"

"Report, re-shmort, that's always your excuse."

"Besides, I don't drink alcohol and it's too late for coffee." He avoided the question and was already turning back to his computer.

"Tea then. Or you could get decaf. Come on, it's not healthy, the way you spend all your time working," she said. "Just come out and celebrate with us, just this once. Spend time with your colleagues, get away from this desk. You need some friends, you know."

"No, really, I do appreciate the offer. I just feel like working here instead. Maybe another time."

She paused. "Wait…you're telling me you'd rather _work _than go out? I knew something was wrong with you."

"Well it's not like that…" He began hesitantly.

"Yugi." She resumed use of his regular name as she always did. "You're insane."

"No I'm not."

"Fine, you're obsessed then."

"Obsessed isn't a very nice word…I prefer passionate."

"Passionate." She smiled. "Alright. But don't you ever get tired of being passionate about things billions of kilometers away? Doesn't that make for a lonely life?"

For some reason this made him smile sadly, and he waved his hand and said, "I appreciate your concern as well, but I'm fine."

"What are you looking for?" She finally asked.

"Huh?"

"Looking for, what are you hoping to find out there?" She gestured towards the skylight built into the roof of the office. "You're already famous. You've gotten your name in countless astronomy magazines and most likely in books by now. You've made some amazing discoveries in the last few years, you've taken the award-winning images…what else do you want? To discover another Earth or something? Aliens maybe?"

"I don't want anything. I'm not looking for anything…"

"Well this isn't a job you choose on a lark, something must've made you pursue it to make it this far," Amber said.

Yugi was quiet. Then: "I just like it."

She shook her head. "I swear, sometimes I think you're just a robot, and your heart and soul are actually out in another galaxy someplace."

He just smiled again in that oddly sad way. Amber finally smiled too. "Well I can't fault your passion. You've gotten the awards and the recognition to back it up. Maybe we can get you to do coffee another day? Perhaps for the next magazine celebration, when you finally publish this report you're always working so hard on?"

He humored the teasing. "Yeah, maybe."

"Fair enough. Have a good night."

"Good night."

As she left the room, Yugi's eyes went to the skylight in the roof, through which the night sky was visible. In his years, as he'd worked his way through school and through the astronomy bureaucracy, eventually even becoming famous for his part in a recent series of the furthest-ever photographs taken from Earth, he'd been asked similar questions more than once. _Why this job? What drives you? Why choose this?_ Somehow, his answers were never acceptable, and he'd earned the reputation of being a bit…odd.

His coworkers' opinions not withstanding, he found himself generally at peace with his life. His days, admittedly, revolved around his work, but he didn't think of that as bad. Those days he spent at the telescopes and satellite images, the days he documented new stars or planets…those were the only moments he would really feel complete.

He also did not in any way think himself "obsessed," as his cheeky intern Amber suggested. He was simply driven. He wasn't _looking _for anything, he was chasing. Forever chasing what he knew he'd never catch up with, but the chase was enough to keep him going.

Sometimes, certainly, it felt strange to turn around and realize that over thirty years had passed him by in this building…but time was strange like that. Sometimes it felt like it had only been a few weeks. Other days it felt like several centuries. At times, the sheer realization of how many years had slipped away overwhelmed him, but he always came back to the same conclusion.  
_  
__This is right._

He turned back to his computer, ready to keep typing, but his eyes automatically went to the picture framed on his desk.

Atemu's faded image gazed out of it at him. He'd clipped the image out of a dueling magazine many years ago, even before Atemu had left. It was only after he was gone; however, that Yugi had framed the picture. Having collected many pictures from magazines or websites over the years, he had decided that this one deserved a place of honor on his desk – he spent more time here than at home as it was. And anyway, an astronomy building seemed like the perfect place for Atemu's photo.

Sure, Yugi's life looked empty. But it wasn't, not at all. His choice to go into this field had confused everyone who knew him, but the longer he worked, the more he knew this was the best place for him…perhaps even the only place for him. He smiled at the picture.

_"…every star is actually the spirit of someone who has passed away."_

Stretching, he settled back down at the computer and continued typing.

_"…the people they left behind can look up every night and see them, and know that they're not alone."_

Here, he didn't have to wait till night. Every day he saw the beauty that the sky hid. Every day he got to look further into the universe than anybody else on Earth. And every day he found there the knowledge that Atemu wasn't far away. No, he was there…always hovering just out of sight, just out of reach, but undeniably there.

_Atemu._

One day he would rejoin the one he loved, in that place just beyond the telescope's limits.

But until that day, he was content to chase.

* * *

**Notes: **I've actually had this written for over a year. xD Only now did I finally find an excuse to post it.

This theme gets a title! Like the other two fics in this set, the title is taken from the Better Than Ezra song "At the Stars." They're a little-known band with some truly great songs, ("Breathless" is sort of the theme song for the upcoming chapter fic), so I urge you check them out if you like alternative rock music. This is also the first theme to include the genre 'light angst.'  
And it's theme 025! 1/4 of the way through the challenge. =D

Happy Mother's Day to all moms. ^_^


	26. Fountain of youth: Humor, PG15, AU

**Theme:** 026- Fountain of youth; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **PG-15**  
Genre:** Humor**  
Parings:** YamixYugi**  
Warnings:** AU, dirty humor**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **Yami and Yugi celebrate the one night of the year when everything goes, and some mysterious girl is taking advantage of it.

* * *

"Yugi?"

"Hmn?"

Yami gestured behind them. "Have you noticed that there's a strange girl following us with a camera?"

Yugi glanced over his shoulder. The street was clogged with people, all of whom fit the definition of 'strange.' "I don't see her. What's she dressed up as?"

"She's wearing street clothes, not in a costume. Long brown hair, thin, carrying a video camera…"

"Nope, don't see her." Yugi turned back around, his hand interlaced tightly with Yami's to prevent them from being separated in the crowd.

"I swear she's following us. I've seen her several times this evening."

Yugi waited until they'd slipped through another group of people to answer. "Well if she _is _stalking us, I'm relieved she's just video-taping. I've had my ass grabbed by so many strangers tonight it's ridiculous. Can't they see I'm with you?"

In the distance they could hear the sounds of a parade getting closer, and squeezed themselves into a small opening in the crowd on the sidewalk.

"Hey, I suggested we come clothed in costume," Yami said, putting his arm around Yugi's shoulders, which were airbrushed with black paint. "A fallen angel and a devil. All we needed to buy were the accessories, we already have plenty of black clothes to alter and I could have sewn up the costumes in no time. But no, you're the one who wanted to get into the experience and have the costumes body-painted on."

"The website said it was tradition, who am I to argue?"

"I think your upholding of the traditions here is very honorable," Yami said, raising his voice as the crowd let out a rowdy cheer for the first float. "However, you should have expected that coming to a festival jam-packed with people, ninety-nine percent of whom are drunk, wearing only a thong and body paint, is pretty much asking to have people pinch you. You're too cute for your own good."

"Hark who's talking, you've been grabbed more than I have."

"You kept count?"

"It was hard not to notice. You attract attention."

"Feeling jealous?" Yami asked slyly. "I should have stopped you from drinking that last shot, you always get jealous when you're tipsy."

"No, just a little possessive." He leaned in to plant a fast kiss on his lips. Yami grabbed him before he could get away and kissed him back. Yugi was out-of-breath when he pulled away long enough to say, "See, that's what got you kicked out of heaven–"

"Wasn't entirely my fault, a particularly cute devil seduced me and I couldn't resist," Yami said, kissing him again.

Yugi didn't argue, too busy taking control of the kiss. His concentration was broken, however, when something hit him in the head.

Bewildered, he released Yami and reached on top of his head, where whatever had hit him had caught on one of his costume devil horns. Pulling it down, he saw that it was a beaded necklace. He turned in time to see a woman on a float with several other men and women, all dressed as mermaids, waving before she threw another strand of beads into the crowd.

"Oh cool, you got a necklace," Yami said.

"Yeah, guess I did." Yugi smiled and put it on. "And it's red, goes great with the black."

"Yep," Yami said distractedly, watching the parade. Yugi leaned into him, waiting until Yami let down his guard. And then–

"Ah!" Yami jumped. "Yugi!"

Yugi grinned. "What? I'm _allowed _to pinch you."

Yami huffed and folded his arms, pretending to sulk, and then prodded Yugi's shoulder. "Hey, I want a necklace. Kiss me again, get me one."

"Get your own necklace!"

"I can't if you won't kiss me."

"And how do you know it was the kiss that made her throw it at us? Maybe she also found my ass cute and was throwing it to me."

Yami frowned. Yugi grinned and wrapped his arms around Yami's waist, the only part of both of them with bare skin between the black pants and cropped, zippered shirts the airbrush artist had painted on them earlier. He could feel the feathers of Yami's costume wings brushing his fingers. "Looks like I'm not the only person who gets jealous when tipsy."

"Are you going to help your adorable fallen angel lover get a necklace or are you going to stand there and brag?" Yami finally asked, embracing him back.

Yugi looked as if he was about to reply, but before he could Yami suddenly pointed between a gap in the floats and said, "There! It's that girl from before!"

Yugi turned. Across the street he saw a bunch of people in bright costumes, but no girl with a camera. "Yami, I'm starting to think you're hallucinating this girl."

"I am not! She was there, taping us again. As soon as I pointed she left."

"If you say so."

"I'm telling you, she was right there–" Yami stopped mid-sentence as a young man (though scantily dressed as a buxom pirate wench) on the latest float tossed a handful of necklaces into the crowd, and he, using Yugi as leverage, was able to jump up and grab one.

"Look at that, you didn't need to kiss me after all," Yugi said. "You managed to get one on your own."

Yami, who was triumphantly putting the necklace of gold oval beads on, looked up with a grin. "Oh, you're not getting away that easily."

"Wha–?" Was all Yugi had time to ask before Yami captured his lips again.

* * *

**Notes:** Guess what this theme comes with? It's very own fanart! Check under the relevant fics/art section of my profile for the link to it. As a warning, it's also PG-15 and therefore probably NSFW.

If you're wondering what drunken debauchery and cross-dressers have to do with the Fountain of Youth, I'll explain. The festival they're attending is Fantasy Fest. It's known for its everything-goes attitude, awesome body-paint, gay fabulousness, and most importantly is held in Key West, a city in Florida! Juan Ponce de Leon, while searching for Bimini, (where, it was rumored, the Fountain of Youth existed – though he was most likely looking for Bimini because of the gold rumored to be there), accidentally stumbled across Florida and gave it the name we all know it by today.

I have no idea how Yami and Yugi ended up in Florida, but I am aware they're OOC. They're supposed to be, they're buzzed. They'll be very ashamed of themselves in the morning. And then they'll hunt me down and set me on fire.

Yes, the girl following them was my self-insert. (She's gonna sell the video on E-bay! 8D)


	27. Vital signs: Angst&Tragedy, PG, AU

**Theme:** 027- Vital signs; for 100_chances  
**Rating: **PG**  
Genre:** Angst/tragedy**  
Parings:** YamixYugi**  
Warnings:** AU**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **A lifetime only lasts so long.

* * *

Yugi hated the beep of the ECG. Hated everything it stood for, hated everything it _didn't_ stand for.

He rubbed his thumb gently over Yami's knuckles, his grip tightening as he tried to ignore it. Yami must have felt the pressure, because his eyes opened and he glanced to his side.

"Yugi."

Against his wishes, his eyes welled up with tears. He couldn't take it, hearing the once deep, confident tone reduced to this. "Yami?"

"None of that," Yami reprimanded, seeing the wetness, a hint of his former strength breaking in.

"I'm sorry." Yugi wiped his eyes. "I just…don't understand…_why_."

He closed his hand over Yugi's, replying simply, "A lifetime only lasts so long."

Looking down at the man in the bed, Yugi could barely breathe around the sobs he was forcing himself to swallow. A lifetime…it had seemed like such a long time, back in their youth. But now a lifetime had been reduced to only moments, measured by a harsh, unemotional beep.

The memories unreeled before him. The day he met Yami, their first date, when they moved in together, the night Yami proposed to him, their wedding, the special anniversary many years later when they renewed their vows…

Then the day the ambulance came when Yami collapsed. The day they got the news about his heart. All those tests and surgeries and trips to hospitals and meetings with specialists…

The day the ambulance had to come back to their house. The day Yugi had to sign the hospital paperwork for Yami, authorizing them to take him off life support. The day he knew, deep down, that Yami wouldn't be coming home again.

And now here they were...out of days, out of memories, out of time.

Yami looked over at him. The years had changed many things, but Yami's eyes still looked the same as they did the day they met; deep, violet and expressive. Now his eyes were soft, as if he knew what Yugi was thinking about, and he squeezed his partner's hand. "Yugi, it's okay to let go."

Yugi shook his head. "No. I won't let go. Not until…not until you've…" He couldn't say the words, and finally just whispered, "I promise you won't be alone."

Yami smiled slightly and shifted to meet Yugi's eyes more easily. "Promise me something more?"

"Anything you want."

"I know by now…it's obvious that life is shorter than we expect. But you still have time left, and Yugi, promise me that you won't spend it all grieving. I want you to keep living. I want to be able to watch over you and see you smiling. At least try. Okay?"

Yugi could tell he was doing his best to attempt to soothe the pain, and bit away tears as he managed a tiny smile. He wanted to scream, wanted to plead with Yami to stop saying these things, to get up and come home and be okay. But he masked it all for Yami's sake and simply reached out with a shaking hand and stroked back Yami's hair. "I promise."

"Thank you," Yami murmured and then sighed, closing his eyes.

"Yami?" He gripped his hand. "Yami?!"

"I love you, Yugi," he whispered.

Yugi, trembling, pressed his hand against his lips as he whispered back, "I love you, too."

Yami smiled gently, and as he did the frequency of the beeping changed, but Yugi knew there would be no rush of nurses to his side. Medicine was useless now. In the end, Mother Nature controlled life and death, and Yami had asked for it to be that way._ I'll know when to stop fighting_, he'd told Yugi, years before when Yugi tearfully begged him not to give up. _And when that day comes, when I decide it's time, I want you to let me go._

So Yugi said nothing and alerted nobody. He just bowed his head, his tears escaping as he held Yami's hand; and beside him, the ECG calmly beeped away the end of their lifetime.

* * *

**Notes:** If anyone is wondering if I either forgot or ignored Yugi/Yami's birthday on the 4th, let me assure you I didn't forget or ignore it. I posted a series of 11 Puzzleshippy drabbles for a song meme on my writing journal, as I was expressedly avoiding posting this theme. Let's face it...as much as I like angst, even I have limits, and the poor guys didn't deserve a tragedy fic for their birthday!

As for the drabbles, you can read them if you'd like by going to my writing journal. If you click my homepage link it'll take you to the journal, and if you're reading this at any point remotely close to 6/14/09, the drabbles will still be on the first page.

On a last note, I was scrolling through some of the themes on here a few weeks ago and found at least four that had weird spacing, some paragraphs were strange and squished together, incorrect italics (it took out the italics that were supposed to be there), and in one case five or six lines were actually completely missing. I have no way of knowing when the errors occured, I only know that I did not upload them with those errors. If you come across anything odd like that while reading any of the themes, let me know asap.


	28. Children's games: General&Romance, G, AU

**Theme:** 028- Children's games; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **G**  
Genre:** General/romance**  
Parings:** YamixYugi**  
Warnings:** AU**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **Everyone else is splitting up as their futures take different paths, but Yami has a reason why he and Yugi shouldn't.

* * *

"So…there was something you wanted to tell me?"

Yugi looked over to see Yami peering curiously at him. They were sitting together on the front step of the Game Shop and had been sitting there in silence for several minutes. He supposed it shouldn't be a surprise that Yami was getting antsy.

"Well, yes."

"And…?" Yami prompted.

"I…got accepted to a university."

Yami stared at him for a moment, then broke into a relieved smile. "That's what you wanted to tell me? But that's great news! You seemed so worried, I thought something awful had happened."

Yugi stared back, still looking distraught. "But…this means I'm going to have to take the offer. There's no way my parents will stand for me turning University down just so I can travel around with you."

"I know."

"You don't seem upset."

"Why should I be?" Yami asked. "You worked hard on those entry tests and you've earned the reward. That's not something to be upset over, you ought to be proud. My parents are going to flip when they find out you made it into a university while their own deadbeat son takes off to do theatre costuming."

Yugi only looked more distressed. "Yeah, but…the plan was for me to go with you."

He shrugged. "So we change the plan. You go to college, I'll do costumes, we'll meet up in a few years and see what we can do with our combined knowledge. It might be good, you know, if one of us gets some higher education."

Yugi fiddled with the sleeve of his jacket. Yami's cheerful expression faded. "Yugi, don't tell me this is leading up to one of those 'we have to break up for our own good' conversations."

The young man beside him hesitated. Yami felt his heart sink and spoke, almost pleaded, without thinking: "No, don't say it."

Yugi pulled himself together and took a deep breath. Yami knew him too well. He fumbled for a new topic; a less depressing topic. "No, I…I wasn't thinking about saying that. I was um…thinking about when we first met. You remember?"

"Of course I do."

"It was during second grade, on your first day after moving here. We had been paired as desk partners that morning. Then at lunch everyone wanted to play tag and I didn't want to."

Yami, with a half-smile: "Well, with the way Jounouchi used to change the rules into tackle-tag halfway through, who did?"

"And," Yugi continued, "I remember sitting off to the side, and everyone else was about to start the game, and you looked over at me and asked Jounouchi why I wasn't playing."

"His reply wasn't particularly nice," Yami remarked. "Something about you being a weakling."

"Yeah. Next thing I know you're marching over to me. And you grabbed my hand and pulled me up and asked me to join the game." Yugi smiled.

Yami's cheeks flushed. "Well…"

"Jounouchi wasn't very happy. He threw a big fit about how I'd just get in the way. And remember what you said to him?"

Of course Yami remembered. But he didn't say anything, knowing that Yugi was enjoying reliving the story. And he'd do anything to keep Yugi in a positive frame of mind right now.

"You said, 'it won't be any fun without Yugi.'"

Yami looked down at the pavement, smiling. "How could I ever forget? I think I knew even back then…that life wouldn't be the same without you. I still feel that way."

"Then how come this doesn't bother you? You'll be gone with the troupe most of the time. Even when I'm on break it'll be a miracle if we have a chance to meet up."

Yami leaned back. "You told me once that you liked how I didn't hesitate."

"I do."

"When we were kids, I didn't hesitate to defend you, even if I got laughed at, because I knew you were worth it. I knew I wanted you to be part of my life, maybe only as a friend at the time, but still."

"And I'm glad for that," Yugi said softly.

"Well, I'm not going to let anything take away something – _someone _– I love now, either. I don't think we're exiling ourselves to never see each other for four years. We'll still be part of each other's lives. Maybe not physically for periods of time, but we'll visit and still be together in spirit, and we'll come back to each other. As long as you want to."

Yugi tilted his head. "Of course I want to, but how can you be so sure? Seems like these days everyone's parting ways for good." He felt something touch his hand and looked down in time to see Yami wrapping his fingers around his own. His touch still felt the same as it had way back then. Soft, gentle…but strong. Strong enough to make Yugi believe anything was possible.

"Because I can't hesitate," Yami said. "Life won't be any fun without you."

* * *

**Notes: **I was tempted to make this theme be about children's card games, but changed my mind. xD

I don't often make Yami be very carefree because it's fun to make him fret and worry, but this time I decided to do something different and make Yami be the one who is just blindly sure that everything will be fine. x3 I actually like his personality quite a bit this way. Also: Yami in the costuming field is my new favorite headcanon.


	29. Wrong number: General, G, AU

**Theme:** 029- Wrong number; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **G**  
Genre:** General**  
Pairings:** YamixYugi implied**  
Warnings:** AU**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **The last thing Yugi expected was to find himself set up on a blind date.

* * *

"How about number thirty-one? It says he likes dancing." Yugi held up the paper. Anzu shook her head.

"All the male dancers I've ever met were full of themselves. Besides, he's too old." She picked up a different slip from another table nearby. "How about number fifteen?"

Yugi read it. "I don't know Anzu…he doesn't sound like your type. Too short, for one thing."

"Not for me, for you. I figured you wouldn't want someone who towers over you."

"Anzu!" He yanked the paper away from her and set it down with a slap. "I'm not bidding on anybody!"

"Oh come on, you probably won't even win. Put down a bid and it'll make someone else bid higher. This is for charity, it'll be worth it."

"I am _not _putting a bid down."

"Fine, fine." She moved on down the row of tables. Yugi followed, frowning.

"Just because I decided to come out of the closet," he grumbled, "does not mean you can drag me to all of these girly events now. And it does not mean you can drag me out shopping, either, in case you had any ideas."

"Oh come on, what other reason is there to have a gay friend?" she asked, giving him a smile. Against his will he felt himself smile back. It was hard to sulk at her, considering how great she had been, supporting him during the difficult months while he struggled to understand himself. He knew the gentle teasing was her way of saying she accepted him. But at moments like this…

"Ooh, here's the perfect one for you!" She held the paper out. "He's short, likes games, and works in a library. And he's young, too, just a few years older than us."

"What does the library have to do with anything?"

"It means he's quiet. You're quiet. You guys could be quiet together."

"Anzu," Yugi said through his teeth, "I came to this charity auction with you because the proceeds will go toward grants for dancers, and I know you're in line for one of those grants. I came so that my entry fee would help. I am not interested in finding a date. If anything, we are here to find you one."

Over the intercom he heard an announcement: "Please place your final bids and take your seats, bidding will close in five minutes."

_Oh thank God, it's almost over_, he thought in relief. Turning to Anzu, he spread his arms. "Okay Anzu. You've got thirty-five options here, any of them for you?"

"Well I did see one, number twenty-six."

"Alright, go bid on him and I'll meet you back at the seats. I want to get a drink."

"Okay." She waved as he jogged away. A few minutes later, carrying a bottle of water, Yugi joined her on a chair she had saved for him.

"Did you win?"

She refused to meet his eyes. "I don't know, it was pretty busy. They'll announce the winners in a few minutes and I'll know."

"Ah. Well, good luck."

"Thanks."

A man stepped onto the stage in front of them, holding a piece of paper in his hand. The lights dimmed and he began, "The Foundation of Support for the Performing Arts would like to thank you all for coming out today to our blind date auction, set up to support our grant program. Thanks to your attendance, donations and bids, we have raised over 400,000 yen, which will be put toward grants for five students to continue the study of their arts."

Yugi applauded politely, checking his watch as he did. This event ended at three, it was two forty-six now…

"That's really good," Anzu said as she clapped. "It's more than they raised last year."

"How much did they–"

"We've added up the final counts, here are the lucky winners of our blind dates!" The man on stage announced.

"Oh, shh, they're reading off the winners of the auction," she hissed, shushing him.

Yugi checked his watch again, not paying attention as the names were called. Two fifty-one, less than ten minutes…

Then he heard:

"Number twenty-six, Yugi Mutou."

Yugi, jaw dropping, turned to Anzu in horror. "I thought _you _were bidding on him!"

She broke into a grin. "Oops…guess I accidentally wrote down the wrong bidder number. Silly me."

Dismayed, Yugi said, "Now this poor guy has to go out on a _date _with me! He's going to be expecting to get a date with a girl, and when he shows up and sees me he's going to be mortified. Who's number twenty-six?"

"The librarian. And you don't know that, this auction specifically states that all genders are invited to bid. He knew there was the possibility of getting a date with a guy. Just tell him you wanted to get to know him better to be friends."

"No, I think I'll tell him I have a crazy friend who couldn't remember her own bidder number, but somehow memorized mine! Didn't I tell you I wasn't here to find anyone?"

"Will all winners please report backstage to receive the information about where you will meet your blind date?" asked the announcer. Yugi groaned and got to his feet. He was tempted to just sneak out, but that would mean that the poor fellow he'd "won" would be stood up, and he didn't have the heart.

"So who'd you win?" Anzu asked the moment he returned to his seat. "Where are you going?"

"I'm supposed to meet him at the ice cream parlor on sixth street, this Sunday at two," he mumbled, the paper crunched in his hand.

"Did you get his name?"

"Yeah, it's um…" He fumbled with the paper, opening it and reading, "'Yami Atemu.'"

* * *

**Notes: **To be continued…? ;3 *whistles innocently*

Surprise post today! I forgot all about it being Canada Day until Kaoru's post reminded me. My apologies, Canada. A quick juggling of my fic posting schedule was necessary, but it all worked out.

I would also like to apologize for the pairing/paring typo that has been running rampant. For reasons I can understand but am sad about, nobody ever brought it to my attention that, for over a year, I've had a typo in my notes section. So I kept copy-and-pasting them, over and over, never aware that instead of pairing characters up, I was "paring" them. I am actually sort of upset about this, but I don't have the fortitude to go correct every post I made for the last fifteen months or more. Instead I would just like to ask, please, if you spot a typo anywhere, _tell me_. I promise I won't flip out on you. Most likely I'll shower you with praise. xD


	30. Ice cream parlor: General&Fluff, G, AU

**Theme:** 030- Ice cream parlor; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **G**  
Genre:** General/fluff**  
Pairings:** YamixYugi implied**  
Warnings:** AU**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **Resigned to his blind date, Yugi never guessed that maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he thought. Maybe, in fact, it wouldn't be bad at all...  
**Note:** This is the sequel to theme 029 - Wrong number.

* * *

Yugi, prodding the ice in his glass of water with pinky nail, could feel the counter girl staring at him. He had a feeling he knew why. Surely any counter person working at an ice cream parlor had seen people stood up before. And that would be the logical explanation for why a guy, wearing clothes that were obviously picked in an attempt to look casual but dressy at the same time, was sitting alone at a table for twenty minutes ordering only water, (which he subsequently didn't even drink), waving away anyone who offered to take his order and claiming he was waiting on someone.

Of course, what the counter girl _didn't _know was that he was in fact just an overly-shy worrier who had shown up a half hour early because he was terrified of his date being there first.

_It's fine, it's all going to be just fine. Yami Atemu will show up, I'll explain what happened, we'll have a good laugh about it…_

But what if his 'date' didn't think it was funny? What if he got really mad? What if he yelled? Yugi hated being yelled at, and to be yelled at in front of all these people…

_Librarians probably don't make a habit of yelling_, he tried to console himself.

But that only brought up another horrible scenario.

_What if he's really upset, but to be polite he insists we have the date anyway? And I have to sit here and watch him be disappointed? I don't want that!_

He tried to think of something good that could happen. Maybe Yami Atemu wouldn't be disappointed at all. Maybe he'd be really happy to meet him. Maybe he would even–

_Oh God, what if he likes me?!_ Yugi felt his face burn. _What if he's gay or bi and thinks I bid on him because I actually did want to have a date, and he ends up liking me? Then I'll have to hurt his feelings!_

A tentative voice nearby broke into his thoughts. "Yugi Mutou?"

Yugi jolted upright, looking around. "Huh?"

A young man stood beside the table, looking nervous. He was dressed similarly to Yugi, in the clothes of someone who had tried far too hard while picking them out. He'd wrestled his black and red hair back into a bushy ponytail, but Yugi – having hair that behaved similarly, growing every which direction – could already see strands coming undone. His eyes, an intense dark red, met Yugi's questioningly.

"Are you…?"

"Am I…oh!" Yugi got to his feet. "Yeah, I'm Yugi Mutou. Are you Yami Atemu?"

He broke into a relieved smile. "Yes."

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you before, I got sort of lost in thought," Yugi said, bowing.

The young man bowed back. "It's okay."

They stood awkwardly for a moment.

"What should I call you?" Yugi blurted.

"Call…?"

"Yami, or Atemu, or…do you have a nickname?" His voice faded to a mumble.

"Yami is fine. Um…what should I call you?"

"Yugi, I guess, everyone else does."

"Okay." He nodded awkwardly.

"You can sit," Yugi finally said.

"Okay. Thanks." They sat down simultaneously. Yami seized the menu of ice cream choices and vanished behind it.

_Great,_ Yugi thought. _He's shy, and I've already embarrassed him by asking stupid questions and not even listening to him when he was asking who I was!_

The silence was too uncomfortable to take for long. Yugi fidgeted with his hands for a moment, and then said, "So…do you like the ice cream here?"

"Huh?"

"The ice cream here. Um, is it good? I've never ordered it."

"Neither have I." He shook his head. "The auction set up the date locations, I didn't get to choose."

"Oh."

"If I'd been allowed to choose I definitely would have picked someplace…" He trailed off.

"Less date-like?" Yugi guessed.

He laughed, breaking the tension. Yugi felt some of his nervousness slide away. Yami had a nice laugh, open and kind. "Exactly. Setting people up on a date like this just makes them uncomfortable."

"I know. I'd rather have met someplace fun. Where you could just meet up as friends."

"That would be much better," Yami agreed.

"Like the arcades," Yugi said, before realizing that his choice of venue probably sounded childish. Yami, however, nodded.

"Yes, that would have been an excellent choice."

"Wait...you like the arcades? But you're a librarian, I thought you'd like quiet."

"Well sure, I love books and quiet, but games are my main passion, even the arcade ones."

"Me too, I love games, all sorts," Yugi said, brightening.

"Really?" Yami smiled. "What's your favorite?"

"Card games, hands down."

"Mine too!"

"No way," Yugi said, laughing. "You're just saying that because I did."

"No, I mean it, I love card games. My favorite isn't a regular card game though, it's a trading card game. Duel Monsters, have you heard of it?"

"_My_ favorite game is Duel Monsters!"

Yami, speaking through a delighted smile: "Really?"

"Yeah!" Yugi beamed back.

"Well…maybe sometime we could play a game together," Yami suggested, his cheeks reddening a little.

"Yeah, we could." Yugi felt his own face flush, but it wasn't accompanied by the hundreds of butterflies in his stomach that it had before. Instead, along with it came a rather pleasant warmth. "In fact, we should. I'd…I'd like to."

"So would I," Yami replied, before picking up the menu again. "Er…we should probably order something before we get thrown out for taking up a table to talk about games though. The counter girl is glaring at us."

"Oh, good idea."

Ten minutes later, as they sat eating their ice cream, during a lull in the conversation, Yami spoke up shyly. "Hey…Yugi?"

"Yeah?"

"This is fun. I didn't even want to be part of the auction, the organizers guilt-tripped me into it with the 'it's for a good cause' speech…but now I'm glad I was part of it. I'm glad it was you who bid on me."

Yugi felt a little of his happiness fade. He knew he should tell the truth. He twirled his spoon against the side of his bowl uncomfortably.

"Yami…just in the interest of full disclosure, you should probably know I didn't bid on you."

Yami bit down on some of the crunched peanuts on his ice cream, chewing slowly. "You didn't?"

"No…my friend Anzu did. She's one of the dancers being benefited by the foundation, and I went along because I knew my entry fee would help her. She kept trying to get me to bid, she seems to think I need a date, and I thought it was her who bid on you, but she put down my number instead."

"Hmn." Yami concentrated on his ice cream, but his happy expression faded.

"But you know something?" Yugi asked.

"What?"

"I was so mad at her when I found out what she did, but now…I'm really glad she did." He looked up, offering him a smile.

"Really?"

"Really."

Yami smiled back. "Then I'm glad she did too."

* * *

**Notes:** Bonding over card games and ice cream, what could be better? ^w^ I took the blond out of Yami's hair because it's an AU and I didn't feel like going into the WTF-we-have-the-exact-same-hairstyle thing. Besides, I think he'd be cute with just black and red.

Happy Independence Day!

...in America.


	31. Bubbles: General&Fluff, PG

**Theme:** 031- Bubbles; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **PG**  
Genre:** General/fluff**  
Pairings:** 'Atemu'xYugi implied**  
Warnings:** Post-series - Yami his own body for no adequately explained reason**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **Atemu, as it happened, was not taking a shower, nor was he hidden safely from view by a shower curtain.

* * *

"I'll be right back," Yugi promised his mother and grandfather through the car window, jogging toward the house and unlocking the door. He felt like an idiot, grabbing the wrong jacket. It wasn't until they were five blocks up the road that he realized he'd left his jacket with his wallet in his room and had to convince his family to turn the car around so he could go back and get it.

Yugi was somewhat puzzled to not see Atemu sitting on the couch reading or watching TV, the two activities he'd cheerfully decreed he would spend his evening alone doing. The mystery was solved when, as he passed the bathroom upstairs on the way to his room, he noticed the light on under the door and heard water running. Atemu must be taking a shower.

Grabbing his jacket with his wallet, he paused outside the bathroom on the way back down the hall, puzzled to no longer hear the water, and instead hearing music playing from inside. Curious, he pressed his ear to the door to listen, and the door, not completely shut, nudged open. Yugi froze.

Atemu, as it happened, was not taking a shower, nor was he safely hidden from view by a shower curtain. He had instead filled the bathtub to the top, the foamy tips of bubbles visible from the door. His right elbow was propped on the edge of the tub, holding a book. One glistening leg was extended from the suds, foot pressed against the other end of the bathtub for support, the other resting just below it. On the floor sat a radio, tuned to what Yugi recognized as Atemu's favorite station.

Yugi gulped, his mouth suddenly dry. The opening of the door caught Atemu's attention, and he turned. "Ai…Aibou!" Eyes widening and face going red, he immediately dropped his book to the floor and immersed all his bare limbs under the sloshing bubbles. Yanking the shower curtain closed, he peered out from behind it, mortified. "What are you doing back so soon…?!"

"I'm sorry!" Yugi said hastily, holding up his jacket, cheeks burning. "I um…forgot my jacket and wallet. The door opened by itself…"

"Ah– I was just–"

"It's okay, don't explain–"

"I just used to like taking long baths as a pharaoh, I didn't expect anyone–"

"Oh no, it's my fault, that's what I get for barging in–"

Both stopped talking simultaneously.

"So I'm going to leave now," Yugi finally said.

Atemu nodded timidly. "Okay. Um…have fun."

"Yeah…okay, you too." He backed away, heart pounding as he closed the door and sprinted down the stairs.

In the car he said nothing to his family, but as his thoughts drifted back to Atemu's long, sleek legs he blushed furiously and felt his chest throb for a moment. As he struggled to inconspicuously control himself, he decided he had never felt so glad for the dark of night before in his life.

* * *

**Notes:** This is going to be the last theme for a few weeks, (no more spamming your in-box. xD), so stopping on a ridiculously fluffy one seemed like a good idea. x3 Happy birthday Mokuba!


	32. Streak: Angst&Drama, PG13, AU

**Theme:** 032- Streak; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Genre:** Angst/drama**  
Pairings:** YamixYugi**  
Warnings:** AU, OOC-ness, slight insanity, character death, violence**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **He could remember, clear as anything, the day he was reborn. The day he'd pulled himself to his feet, harnessed his pain, and made the choice that led him here.

* * *

The gun felt ugly and heavy in his hand. Yugi unconsciously shoved away his disgust, taking a long breath as he pulled a roll of bills from his pocket and counted out the money on the table. The young man across the table scooped the cash up.

"All yours. It's clean. Has a silencer and a full clip."

Yugi nodded. Without a word he slipped the gun into his jacket and bowed his head, letting himself out the back door of the innocent-looking restaurant.

Outside it had begun to rain, but he paid little attention. A rainy night was perfect for what he had planned. However, as the drops began to run down his face he found his thoughts drifting, thinking of how rain and tears and blood all acted the same on skin, creating trails, leaving shiny streaks behind. This meandering thought carried him for several miles through the empty streets.

Then, as he entered a familiar section of town, he felt the back of his neck grow icy. The vague blur in his mind vanished, replaced by an overwhelming awareness of where he was. As he walked, he was taken back to the night ten months before. To the night they were walking home on this very same road, to the night they found themselves suddenly surrounded by shadowing figures, one of them demanding, _"Give us your wallets and valuables. Now!"_

And at first he'd believed it would be okay. The men seemed pleased by the amount of cash they'd found, and Yugi felt Yami's cool hand slip into his, giving his fingers a comforting squeeze. With the group's attention focused on their wallets they had begun to back away, about to run, when one of the men plucked a photograph from inside Yami's and held it up. _"What's this?"_

Yugi knew what it was, he had a copy of the same picture in his wallet, they just hadn't found it yet. He and Yami on vacation, hugging, Yami's lips pressed to his wind-blown hair.  
_  
__"Wait, it's a picture of those two."_

_"So what we have here are a couple of fags."_

Yami had sensed the dangerous change in the men's voices and pushed Yugi behind him as they continued to back away, saying,_ "Just let us go."_

_"Why should we? Your kind aren't welcome around here."_

Their greedy expressions had changed to dark glares. And at that moment, Yami had seen what Yugi hadn't as the first man reached inside his jacket, and Yami had grabbed Yugi's arm and shoved him back._"Run, now."_

For a moment, Yugi hesitated. Something didn't feel right, why would Yami shield him and give him an order instead of running too?

He understood a moment later when he heard the click of a trigger. The explosion was muffled; instead the click was followed by a thump and a mist of something warm and wet. Yami fell backwards into him.

The funeral was a few weeks later. It wasn't long after before his friends took him to the hospital, where he was put on drugs and a feeding tube was forced down his throat.

It took five months before he was allowed to live by himself. Six and a half months before he began his search for the men. Nine months before he began tracking down someone to sell him a gun. And now tonight…when he was finally able to set foot on this street again.

He couldn't remember much of the time between each of those milestones. The police had talked to him, but he couldn't remember what he said. At some point he'd been forced into therapy, but he had no clear recollection of it. He'd lived with his family for awhile, but it was all a vague blur. He could barely even remember Yami's wake, having cried himself into incoherence for it.

Amazing, how much time had passed…it all swam together into a jumble of half-formed memories. But he could remember, clear as anything, the day he was reborn. The day he'd pulled himself to his feet, harnessed his pain, and made the choice that led him here.

Yugi stopped outside the warehouse to pull on gloves, checking the address and number. He could see a light on under the door, and could hear voices inside. Moving carefully, he slipped one hand inside his jacket. He'd brought the gloves hoping to avoid having to feel the weapon, but the chill of the metal grip seeped through the rubber over his fingers. With his other hand he pushed the door open.

It took him only a second to recognize the people inside, all of whom had turned curiously toward the door. It took only another second to pull out the gun and fire.

He didn't close his eyes, hesitate, or look away. He forgot how much he hated the sight of the gun or how nauseating the smell of gunpowder was. He forgot that he had used to hate violence, forgot that he had always despised killing.

It didn't matter now. Passive, peace-loving Yugi Mutou had died that night with Yami. Whoever he was now no longer had those weaknesses. Survival had a price.

Within moments the group had been reduced to a scattering of unmoving bodies. Lowering the gun, he stepped inside, careful to avoid the blood on the ground, although he wasn't sure why. Methodically, he checked each body to be sure each man was dead. Only then did he step back and allow himself to think again.

_You're avenged, Yami. They'll never take anybody else's loved ones the way they took you from me._

Which left only one other victim, and he raised the gun to his head, exhaling slowly. The sight of the bodies he would soon join caused memories to once again rush back over him. He felt no need to try and stop them; this was, after all, the last time he would ever have to relive the nightmare.

_"Yami! Yami!!" _His voice rose to a scream as he cradled him in his arms, collapsing to the ground with him. Even knowing it was too late, he still pleaded, _"Yami, no…please no…"_

Beside him, the gunman studied him as if deciding whether or not to waste another bullet. Yugi stared up at him and begged through sobs, _"Kill me too, please, shoot me as well…"_

But they had vented their hatred with the first shot. So they quickly retrieved the cash they wanted and sprinted back into the night, leaving Yugi to cling to Yami's body, kneeling in a puddle of crimson. One whole side of Yami's body was sticky with dark wetness from the gunshot wound in his head. Yugi could feel his fingers growing slick from the warm liquid. The scent was strong and sickening, forcing itself upon him as he clutched his partner to his chest, too deep in shock to get up or call for help.

And Yami's eyes, his beautiful eyes, were cold and dull and glassy, wide open but unseeing as rivulets of blood ran down his face and collected on his eyelashes. Yugi couldn't bear the thought of the blood staining his amethyst irises, and had closed them gently to protect them.

As he stood there now, barrel pressed against his skin, he strangely found himself remembering the two small fingerprints he'd left on Yami's eyelids when he'd closed his eyes for him.

He wondered who would close his eyes.

_I'll just close my eyes before I fire. Easy enough._

He took in one last breath, feeling surprisingly peaceful.

_I'm coming home, Yami._

But as his finger tightened on the trigger, something inside him seemed to freeze his hand, and an inner voice spoke up: _"Not yet."_

Even though he'd planned for this moment for months, even though he'd expected it to come to this from the moment he saw Yami's body, for some reason his hand wouldn't obey. Doubt suddenly crept in from some long-forgotten place inside him.

Yami could have just grabbed his hand and run, but he hadn't. He had known they were still too close, that running wouldn't have saved them. So he had made himself the easier target. Death would be a welcome release from the half-life he'd created…but how would Yugi be able to face Yami in the afterworld? How could he look his love in the eyes and tell him that he'd thrown away what Yami had died protecting?

Now as he stood, he felt tears escape for the first time since that day months before when he'd chosen this path, and his hand holding the weapon finally shook.

_One bullet. That's all it'll take. Yami will understand. He will understand that the pain was too much._

Yet that voice spoke up again, firmly. _"No, it's not your time."_

And he knew it couldn't really be, but the voice sounded so familiar…

"Yami?" he whispered aloud.

Nobody answered him, but he found himself lowering the gun, placing it back inside his jacket, and backing out of the warehouse, again being careful to avoid stepping in blood. Only now did it occur to him why: so that the police couldn't trace his shoeprints.

The rain poured down harder outside, soaking his clothing as he shut the door and began to walk. The drops mixed with the tears on his face, streaking his skin once more, but this time he had no blurry thoughts, everything was clear and coherent. A few miles up the road he stopped on the shoulder, taking out the gun and flinging it out into the air, watching as it sailed over the cliff and down where it vanished in the jagged rocks and crashing waves below. He stood there for a long time, leaning against the rail and looking out over the water at the lightning in the distance.

Maybe Yugi Mutou wasn't dead after all. Maybe he had simply vanished for awhile, knowing that revenge had to be taken, and also knowing he wasn't the person to take it. He'd thought it was Yami he heard, but maybe it had been _himself _who stopped him from pulling the trigger one more time. That old part of himself.

A crack of thunder brought him back to the present and he straightened up. Perhaps tomorrow he would visit Yami's grave. He hadn't been there for awhile. And he should take him some flowers. Yami would probably like that.

He turned and kept walking.

* * *

**Notes: **Most people would see the word "streak" and think: "Running around naked in public, lulz!" I see it and think blood streaks. There is definitely something wrong with me. x3;;

Happy birthday Riyunoa!


	33. Blood pain: Angst, PG

**Theme:** 033- Blood pain; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **PG**  
Genre:** Angst**  
Pairings:** 'Atemu'xYugi implied**  
Warnings:** None.**  
Spoilers:** End of the series.**  
Summary: **But now he was smacked in the face with the realization that those last moments in Kul Elna had been The End. However symbolic or important or so-called right they were…they were still the end.

* * *

He'd held together fine for the last thirteen hours. Driving back to Luxor, waiting at the airport, the eleven-hour flight home…all okay. Numb, but okay. Even the drive to the Game Shop had been uneventful. He'd been able to carry on a perfectly normal conversation with his mother, who was still irritated about his and his grandfather's sudden mysterious need to go to Egypt. But the moment he entered his bedroom it all fell apart.

Something broke inside him, shattering the numbness and leaving the wound on his heart raw and open. He stared around the room for a moment, feeling something rising inside his chest. There was the bed where they'd sat and talked almost every night. There was the desk where he completed the Millennium Puzzle, and later where Atemu liked to sit while looking at the stars. There were the books of cards they'd left lying around while trying to decide which to take with them to the Ceremonial Battle. All of it, so familiar. But someone was missing.

_He's really gone._

His vision blurred as he unconsciously groped for the Puzzle before remembering that it, too, had been left behind. He dropped to his knees with a strangled cry as the walls seemed to press in on him, crushing him. Cold sweat covered his body, skin prickling as he closed his eyes to hide the memories from sight.

_He's never coming back._

He'd known it all along, but maybe the numbness prevented it from really hitting him before. But now he was smacked in the face with the realization that those last moments in Kul Elna had been The End. However symbolic or important or so-called right they were…they were still the end.

_Atemu is never coming back._

Doubling over, he shook as he covered his head with his hands, trying to protect himself. But it was far too late for that…

It wasn't just emotional anguish anymore. The ache had become a horrific physical burning; fire that had entered his bloodstream and raced throughout his body. The pain seeped into his bones, filled his lungs, made every heartbeat little more than torture. Eyes flying open, he stared down at the floor, using every ounce of strength to stop himself from screaming. His thoughts seemed to blur and grow distant and foggy, darkness creeping in around the edges of his vision.

Then he realized he wasn't breathing. No…it wasn't that…he _couldn't _breathe.

Panicking, he clawed blindly for the doorway, pulling himself out into the hall as he finally gulped air. His head cleared enough for a single thought to become coherent.

_I have to get out of here._

Stumbling for the stairs, he pushed by his grandfather, ignored his concerned voice asking if he was okay, and ran for the door, taking off down the road. Sobs tore from him in ragged gasps, bringing stares from strangers he didn't even notice.

He would have died in that room, had he remained there a moment longer. Now that his life wasn't in danger, all he could think of was getting away from the hurt, despite the impossibility of escaping something that had claimed his very blood.

So he ran. And when he finally tripped and fell to the ground, he struggled back to his feet and kept running. And when his body couldn't take another step he just curled where he was on the sidewalk, up against a chain-link fence, in a part of town he couldn't recognize.

It didn't matter. Nor did the tears on his cheeks, the thudding of his heart, the pain that he knew he could never, ever outrun. All of it was eclipsed by the only thing that seemed real anymore.

_He's gone. He's gone forever.  
_

_

* * *

_**Notes:** This is meant to be somewhat exaggerated, as it's slanted toward Yugi's POV, and when your heart is broken, everything feels extreme.

Today is the one-year anniversary of this challenge (I started posting it on my writing journal before starting to post it here) and I'm 33.3% of the way through it. (That wasn't even intentional, though it is sort of amusing. I wonder if it'll take exactly three years to complete? xD) Naturally, the theme to mark this occasion is angsty. Because that's how I roll.

Also, congrats to Angeliz, who sent me my 163d review of this challenge here. ^^ (I'm sure most Puzzleshippers out there know the significance of 163. ;3)


	34. Lucky number: Fluff, G, AU

**Theme:** 034- Wrong number; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **G**  
Genre:** Fluff**  
Pairings:** 'Atemu'xYugi implied**  
Warnings:** AU.**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **All it took was a single person to change Yugi's entire outlook on the day.

* * *

"Hmn," their homeroom teacher said thoughtfully, consulting the list of pairings for the dance portion of the sports festival. "We've got a slightly higher number of boys than girls this year…Mutou, you'll have to fill in for one of the girls."

Yugi's jaw dropped. "_What?_"

"We don't have an equal number, someone's got to fill in and you're the shortest of the men. Don't you want to win?"

Yugi could think of several responses to that – none of which should ever be said to a teacher – and silently joined the group of girls waiting for the competition to begin. He saw Jounouchi and Honda snickering at him.

_I hate the sports festival_, he thought miserably, taking the opening stance. His dance partner took his hand behind him.

"Uneven number of boys and girls, huh?" the person behind him asked. Yugi's heart immediately sped up.

"Atemu? Y-You're my dance partner?" he stammered.

"You guessed it," returned the voice.

Yugi stiffened and tried not to look openly thrilled. _Atemu's holding my hand!_

At that moment Atemu spun him around, smiling. "Don't worry, if we lose to the other class everyone will be too bummed to remember you were forced onto the girls' team, and if we win everyone will be too busy bragging to care."

"Yeah," Yugi said vaguely, gazing up at him. His cheeks grew hot and he looked away. "Er…I mean, you're probably right."

Atemu just kept smiling at him, his eyes shining, his face slightly flushed from the heat outside. Yugi smiled back, savoring the moment as long as he could.

_…I love the sports festival.  
_

_

* * *

_**Notes:** Silly blushy Yugi-with-a-crush gets a little annoying in large doses, (he's not a friggin innocent schoolgirl!); however, in small amounts I absolutely adore him. 3 And yes, this scene was based on the dance scene in Azumanga Daioh. And I do ship Sakaki and Kaorin. And about a million other ships from that series. xD

In case anyone is interested in a peek at future themes, (the names of them, and in the cases where I have the fic already written, their genres and ratings), I've finally gotten around to linking up the masterlist on my profile. Check em out if you want?

Happy birthday Anzu! Many Puzzleshippers unfairly bash you, but don't worry, I still love you. x3


	35. The day we met: General&Fluff, G

**Theme:** 035- The day we met; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **G**  
Genre:** General/fluff**  
Pairings:** Yami no YugixYugi implied**  
Warnings:** None.**  
Spoilers:** Volumes 6 and 7 of the manga  
**Summary: **First impressions are important, but sometimes it takes a little while to reach them.

* * *

Yugi didn't have a chance to form much of an impression of his other self the first time they were able to meet face-to-face. He and his friends were, after all, trapped inside lead figurines in a game controlled by a psychopath.

They looked unusually similar, that was obvious; although there was an undeniable gleam of confidence in his gaze that Yugi was sure he didn't have in his own. His presence immediately made Yugi feel safe. His other self had smiled at him and Yugi couldn't help smiling back, knowing he could trust the spirit to save them. He hadn't let them down, either, expertly directing them through the twisted game. But there was more than that…there was more to him than just self-assurance, there was softness there. His eyes had definitely gentled when they met Yugi's.

It was only later that night, on the verge of sleep, that Yugi's mind wandered back to the meeting and was able to more thoroughly analyze his first glimpse of the spirit. He concluded that his first impressions were sound: Confident, trustworthy, kind…even the physical similarities didn't freak him out so much. Thinking back, Yugi didn't feel as if he was looking at himself. The spirit was obviously his own person, and his looks reflected that.

Then a new thought about their meeting occurred to him, making his cheeks suddenly burn.

_He was really kind of…good-looking._

* * *

**Notes:** I was going to make this a drabble, then changed my mind. Moar time for musing~

I meant to post this on Friday, but the site wouldn't let me upload it. So you're getting it today...and tomorrow, barring any other uploading fiascoes, chapter 1 of the new chapter fic will go up. I hope you'll check it out!


	36. Laughter: General, G

**Theme:** 036- Laughter; for 100_chances**  
Rating: **G**  
Genre:** General**  
Pairings:** 'Atemu'xYugi implied**  
Warnings:** Slight OOCness on the part of Atemu, and he's got his own body for no adequately-explained reason.**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary: **There are many reasons to laugh, some of which Yugi doesn't agree with.

* * *

"Books are great," Atemu proclaimed, plunking the stack of them he was carrying on the counter. "I love them."

"As happy as I am for you and the books," Yugi said, "if you don't stop bringing them home we're going to have to build an extension on to the house to keep them all. Why don't you just join the library?"

"And give them back after a few weeks? Where's the fun in that?"

"You nerd."

"Hey," Atemu countered as he pulled out his wallet. "You try being stuck inside a Puzzle for three thousand years. I've missed three millennia's worth of history and literature."

"And you're planning to catch up by using all of your spending money to start your own library?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." He handed over the money and waited for change. As he did, he felt something hit the back of his head and turned, puzzled, in time to see three young kids dashing out of the store, laughing. He felt his head where he'd been hit, and glanced down at the floor to see a small wadded up paper ball. Shrugging, he turned back to the cashier. As he did, he noticed Yugi staring toward the door, his eyebrows knit and his expression no longer playful.

"Aibou? Everything okay?"

"Yeah." He shook himself. "Here, let me carry one of the bags for you."

Five minutes later, as they walked down the street back toward the Game Shop together, Atemu asked, "Aibou, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Those kids…they threw that paper ball at me, didn't they? They were laughing at me."

Yugi nodded, staring straight ahead.

"And you know why, don't you? I saw your expression."

Again, he nodded.

"So…why did they?"

Yugi sighed. "It's…because of how you look. Because you have darker skin and look foreign."

Atemu frowned. "I don't understand."

"There are some people who think people with darker skin are below them in class. That people with your skin tone are poor and unsophisticated. It's nothing you did, their families have probably taught them those prejudices."

"Oh." Atemu shifted his bag of books from one hand to the other. "Is this a well-known prejudice?"

"I guess. It's not that prevalent anymore, but there are some people out there who still believe in it. Most people know it exists."

"So you knew I might face this, being dark-skinned in your society," Atemu said.

Yugi scuffed at the ground. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want your feelings to be hurt." Yugi finally looked up at him. "It took a lot of courage…to tell your family and friends that you didn't want to stay in your world with them, you wanted to come back to live here. I didn't want you thinking you weren't welcome in our world."

"Oh, Aibou." Atemu's expression gentled.

Yugi sighed as they stopped at a corner and waited for the light to change. "I guess I should have seen this coming. I knew you wouldn't be able to live here the rest of your life without someone saying something. I'm sorry I didn't prepare you for it."

"Hey…" Atemu set his hand on his shoulder in concern. "There's no need to look so sad. I don't care if some little kids laugh at me."

Yugi looked up and met his eyes. "I care if they do," he replied softly.

The light had changed, but Atemu didn't notice, too busy gazing back at Yugi.

"Aibou…"

"I laugh at you for stuff. For buying so many books or when you rant on about some minor annoyance. But nobody should ever laugh at you or throw things at you because of how you look. They don't know you, they don't know anything about you and they don't have the right to treat you like that."

Atemu was still staring. Yugi's cheeks flushed and he looked away, his skin feeling prickly with embarrassment. He supposed he'd said a little too much, with way too much feeling.

"Thank you, Aibou," Atemu finally replied. "That means a lot to me."

Yugi glanced back up to see Atemu smiling broadly. He felt his heart lift. "Oh…y-you're welcome."

The light had changed back, leaving them to stand together on the corner for another several minutes.

But neither of them minded.

* * *

**Notes:** I meant to post this yesterday and forgot. ^^;;; Happy belated Rosh Hashanah?  
Awhile back I was reading about the dark/light skin issue in Japan and wondered why nobody ever mentioned it in any of the fanfics I've read. (Granted, I haven't read that many.)  
Seriously, one day I'll post a theme again in which the Puzzleshipping isn't "implied." xDD Seems like all of them lately fall into the implied category...


	37. The seasons: Angst&General, G, AU

**Theme:** 037- The seasons; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Angst/general  
**Pairings:** One-sided YamixYugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Love wasn't a good enough reason to put his life on hold.  
**Disclaimer: **Once again I find myself legally obliged to inform you that I am not a wealthy Japanese man.

* * *

It felt like it hadn't been that long ago that they had that final conversation. Certainly not years.

But it had been, and the seasons that followed had both dragged on and raced by, as he passed each day marking time, hoping to eventually reach the day when the world would right itself. When _he_ would come home, and say sorry, and they could finally heal together. If he waited long enough, that day would have to come.

And the seasons changed, and the wounds on his heart slowly scarred up, but he continued to wait, until the day he began to think that he must be stronger than this. Until the day he got tired of expecting _him _to return and pick him up, and he struggled to his feet and thought,_ I can stand without him._

All those days he'd lost while waiting stretched out before him. Days he could have spent at things he enjoyed. Days he could have met new friends or found new hobbies. Instead, he'd given those days to the man who had left him months, _years_, before. The man he would always love…but who would never return the feelings.

Love wasn't a good enough reason to spend his life simply trying to get days and months and years over with. He was waiting on a day that would never arrive. 'Never' was too long of a time.

The scars would remain and a hidden, secret part of his heart would always hope for the past back, but he could no longer indulge the pain.

The seasons were passing away, and he could spare no more time for waiting.

* * *

**Notes: **Felt like saddling everyone with some real-world angst, because today is Burn-Down-Your-House-And-Join-The-Military Day! And what better day for angst than BDYHAJTM Day? 8D  
Love doesn't always last, especially first love. Even if the first one seems like 'the one' (as I usually present Yami and Yugi) there's no guarantee. I feel that the shipping of any couple also encompasses what will happen if the couple breaks up, thus, this was born. You get to decide which "he" is which. (I had Yami in mind.) With the deadline for this theme approaching I sort of forced this out...so again, not one of the better themes. ^^;;


	38. Wishing fountain: Serious, PG, AU

**Theme:** 038- Wishing fountain; for 100_chances)  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Serious  
**Pairings:** Implied future YamixYugi  
**Warnings:** AU, prostitution  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** _But maybe someday_, he would tell himself when he tossed a coin into the pool later. _Maybe someday._

_

* * *

  
_

Yami rolled onto his side, head resting against one arm. The digital clock on the table was blinking 12:00 am – testimony to the previous inhabitants' disinterest in time. He estimated that it was probably more like three in the morning. He would know when it was five, the slamming doors and screech of tires outside the hotel would announce the arrival of the new day.

He closed his eyes. Not that the new day would bring anything very new. It would be the same as always. Off to work at the restaurant, his shift over before the dinner rush when the good money came; back to his apartment long enough to change clothes, back to lingering by the wishing fountain near the center of town with the other streetwalkers when night fell, in the wasted hope that a stranger's arms would provide comfort.

Another night, another cheap hotel, another person beside him whose name he didn't even care to learn.

The money was tucked into his wallet, an amount more than he would make all week at the restaurant, but it meant little. He had, at least, finally risen enough in society to be able to pay the bills. He didn't need to do this anymore, but he still returned to it; craving as he did the faintest hint of affection, to the point that he was willing to accept temporary lust in place of the real thing.

And every day he would throw a coin into the fountain, wishing that things would get better. Telling himself this would be the day the world gave him even one opportunity to change; begging the universe for even the tiniest hint that he still had a chance.

Another coin, another wish…but nothing ever got better. Out of desperation to survive he had sold his soul more than once, had fallen into the belief this was the only life he was good for, and now he didn't know how to get out. He'd tell himself he'd change, but every night found himself by that fountain with the rest of the city's whores, too weak to be alone. Perhaps in this world there were no second chances. Maybe there was no one out there who could love the damned.

Still, it was an illusion he clung to, the idea that there was someone, somewhere, who would believe in him, who would care about him for longer than the few hours or single night he or she paid for.

Another tear, another bruise on his lip as he bit down to stop more from falling and buried his face in his arm. Another hopeless moment in the night, praying for the sunrise, praying for a new chance…just praying for _something_ from a God who seemed to have never cared.  
_  
__But maybe someday,_ he would tell himself when he tossed a coin into the pool later. _Maybe someday._

* * *

**Notes:** Huzzah for vague backstory. xD  
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers! Yes, I post angst for your holiday of thankfulness...I'm sorry. ^^;  
I could make a great deal of jokes, but I won't, because this isn't supposed to be light-hearted. I don't have to explain why this is technically Puzzleshippy and not just a fic about AU!Yami, do I? I'm sure everyone can tell from a mile away where the Puzzleshipping comes in…xD


	39. Far off places: Fluff, G, AUish

**Theme:** 039- Far off places; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Fluff  
**Pairings:** YamixYugi implied  
**Warnings:** AU-ish  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Three little words can make all the difference.  
**Note: **This is the sequel to Unspoken. Check my profile page for a link.

* * *

Balls of wadded up paper littered the ground around Yami's desk. He had completely worn out one pen and was well on his way to using up the ink in a second. He hadn't left the house in going on three days, spending all his time watching mind-numbing television shows, finding the most menial of chores, or staring with increasing frustration at the piece of paper in front of him. He had considered typing his words – at least he wouldn't be wasting paper when he deleted everything and started over – but not only did his mind nag at him that a typed letter was so impersonal, he also knew that the distractive properties of the internet would prevent him from making any progress.

Three simple little words were causing the whole problem. Yami had everything else that he wanted to say mostly figured out. He would ask how Yugi was doing, what his exchange family was like, and encourage him to tell him some stories about what he'd been up to. He would tell him that he himself was fine, maybe share the humorous story about how he'd left the window open and a bird flew in, and he'd panicked that his cat would catch and eat it, and how he had nearly broken his neck trying to catch it so he could take it outside, until he got the brilliant idea to just leave the window open and let it fly back out.

He would of course tell him that their friends were doing well too, and how he'd seen Jounouchi recently. Maybe allude to how Jounouchi wasn't nearly as much of a challenge at games and how he looked forward to playing cards again with Yugi when he returned. That wasn't too pushy, right?

He'd round out the letter with good wishes and would promise to write again soon and hint that he hoped Yugi would reply when he had the time.

The only problem was those three stupid words at the end. _I miss you._

Leave them in? Take them out? Disguise them in a different statement, such as "I miss our weekend games" or "I miss hanging out?" He had to make up his mind. If he didn't get this letter in the mail soon, Yugi might begin to feel like Yami didn't care enough to write back. That was the last thing Yami wanted.

Still debating, he bent over the sheet of paper and wrote out everything he'd already planned to say. He eyed the end of the letter. It sounded fine the way it was. There was no need to add anything else. He could just close with his name and be done with it. But there was a part of him that couldn't – or simply didn't want to – lie. And to leave out the words, to pretend like he didn't miss him…that was lying. He looked around the room for inspiration. His only roommate, his cat Meikyuu, was curled up asleep and offering no help. He couldn't call any of his friends for advice; Jounouchi was still the only person who knew about his feelings for Yugi, and he was beginning to make it clear he was tired of hearing Yami angst about it.

Finally, before he could debate any longer, he put his pen to the paper and quickly finished the letter, sealed it in an envelope, and got up to take it to the post office.

Three weeks later he checked his mail and found an envelope with a United States stamp and a very familiar name in the upper corner. He raced home, didn't even bother to take off his shoes, and ripped open the paper, pulling out the letter, sinking back onto the couch to read it. Slowly his heart rate returned to normal. Yugi seemed happy…he had a lot to share, and it all had a positive tone. Yami relaxed as he read, until he reached the last line.

His heart was suddenly racing again. He gazed at the four carefully penned words as he read them over and over, as if afraid he was mis-reading them. But they remained the same every time, and he smiled.  
_  
__"I miss you, too."_

* * *

**Notes: **Hey, look, a theme that was actually happy for a change. xD Yes, Yami has a cat. This is not up for debate, he is SO a cat person. xD And Meikyuu is a cute name for a cat! Srsly. I bet it's a tabby, because you know their stripes are all maze-like and eee. x3  
Happy belated Halloween! This ought to have been posted yesterday. Blame my boss for making me work. *scowls* Also, happy start of NaNoWriMo to my fellow WriMos!


	40. The tears we shed: Angst&Tragedy, PG, AU

**Theme:** 040- The tears we shed; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Angst/tragedy  
**Pairings:** YamixYugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Tears can't erase a mistake, but that doesn't stop them from falling.

* * *

He wasn't there when Yugi died.

The knowledge haunts him every day; that he broke right when he was needed most. Him, the brave one, the tough one, the person who _did not break_. But he had broken, had run away instead of facing the truth, and now he can't tell anyone because they wouldn't understand.

He feared what would happen if he saw him die. He feared the nightmares, the pain, the helplessness. He couldn't watch, couldn't stand to feel the life drain from the person he loved. So when the moment came, he found an excuse to leave the room, telling himself it was okay. Telling himself that Yugi, the only person who did know his weaknesses, would understand how easily he was affected by things.

It would have been easier if it had happened in an accident. If not being there had been out of his control. But he'd had a choice, and now he has to live with the knowledge that he abandoned Yugi. Knowledge a million times worse than any nightmare, a billion times worse than any helplessness.

Did Yugi reach out for him, at the end? Did he wonder why he couldn't feel his partner holding his hand as he left the world? Did he look up at the faces of the hospice workers and the priest and wonder why the one face that should have been there wasn't?

These are the thoughts that haunt him now, the thoughts that leave him in tears every day. Pointless tears, because they can't fix anything. He can never take back his greatest sin, nor make amends for it, and tears will do nothing. All he can do is wait for death to take him as well. He'll be alone when it happens, he'll make sure of it. He'll slip away without anyone to hold him; it's the only fair punishment.

Even then, he knows, even then he won't be able to take it back. His is a mistake that can never be corrected, that can never be made up for. Neither in death nor in life, and certainly not with these damn tears.

But they're all he has left.

* * *

**Notes:** Because I'm just a bright shiny bundle of cheer, that's why. xD Wrote this one rather quickly just to get this theme finished, so this is a fairly rough one. (And yes, I'm aware of the nutty tenses. T-T) Maybe it's good that way though, since I always feel like the style of writing should reflect the character's mental state when possible. I'll let you guys decide.


	41. Insanity: Serious, PG, AUish

**Theme:** 041- Insanity; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Serious  
**Pairings:** Yami no YugixYugi implied  
**Warnings:** AU-ish, insanity  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** I don't know what's happening. I don't know where I am. But I think I've lost something, something important.

* * *

Someone is calling for me.

_Aibou!_

He sounds scared. He's different from the other people whispering to me. I lock onto his voice, and as the others fade away, his doesn't.  
_  
__Aibou? Where are you?_

I know this voice. The fog in my mind begins to clear, and with it comes understanding.  
_  
__Mou hitori no boku_ is calling for me again.

I can still hear him, very distantly as my thoughts slowly come back into focus. His voice is never clear and strong anymore, the way it was before. They took the Puzzle away from me when I first arrived, telling my parents it was dangerous to leave it with me. They said I would continue to fixate on it and use it as the reason for my "symptoms."

What they don't know is that our bond is more than having a physical object nearby. His soul is entwined with my own. They can take away the object that binds us, but they can't destroy our connection.

_Aibou?_

"I'm here," I call back, my heart breaking at the fear in his voice. I didn't get a chance to tell him what happened, and he's been calling for me ever since my parents brought me here. I'm so used to thinking of him as strong and brave, but ever since we were separated, whenever I hear him he sounds weak and lost.

My other half, my other heart, is in pain and I can't help him.  
_  
__Aibou? Aibou! Answer me! Aibou!_

"_Mou hitori no boku_, it's okay, I'm right here!"

I don't know why, but he can't hear me. I can only assume his voice carries further because he has stronger spiritual power than I have.

I've always been weak. And this place only makes me more so. Even when I regain control of my mind between the periods of drug-induced chaos, I still feel tired and dazed. But I can't get out. I've already tried, already ripped my fingers raw trying to force open the door.

His voice rises in terror. I can hear him pleading to know where I am, begging me for an answer.

"I'm here, I'm right here, I'm okay. Please don't worry, please don't be scared!" I cry back, aching to hold him, wishing so desperately to reach him.

My screams eventually reach somebody, but it isn't the person I need. A nurse bustles in with food and medicine. The medicine that takes _mou hitori no boku_ away from me and replaces him with strangers. I struggle away, pleading for her to understand that I need the Puzzle. Just for a few minutes, so I can tell the spirit I'm safe. So I can see him and promise him it'll be okay. Instead, she holds me in an iron grip and forces the medicine down my throat. Then she smiles and says cheerily, "Now you'll feel just fine in a moment. Wouldn't you like some dinner?"

No. I want to be with _mou hitori no boku_. I want to be with my partner.

I can feel the cocktail of drugs taking effect and struggle not to let it take control. I hear the doctors talking with my parents sometimes, in tense, concerned voices. Murmuring things like, "We don't understand, none of the medications we've tried have any effect on him…"

Why can't they see how wrong they are? Can't they see the effect? Can't they see it stealing my mind from me?

Can't they see…that I need him…?

The room around me is moving and changing shape. I can hear new people, new voices laughing and talking and crying nearby.

People who have died, people who haven't been born yet, flocking around me to murmur to me.

_Did you know, in the year 3971–_

_The man next door is planning to kill…_

_There is a girl who lives on the other side of the glass–_

I can't hear his voice anymore through the noise.

There are too many people talking all at once. I can't listen to them all. I wish they would just leave me alone…

Which voice was I listening for? I can't remember.

I feel tears on my cheeks. I don't know what's happening. I don't know where I am. But I think I've lost something, something important…

_Aibou…_

I don't recognize the word. It's nothing more than a garble of sounds, mixed in with the rest. As quickly as it arrives, it vanishes into the tumult of others.

Not knowing why, I cry for it.

* * *

**Notes: **If you take someone who isn't psychotic, and give them anti-psychotic medicine, guess what happens? It actually makes the sane person psychotic. Trufax. I've always thought that the topic of what might happen to Yugi if his family thought he really was crazy and made him take medication would make for an excellent dark fic. I'm too lazy to go the full distance and write a whole fic for it, so I've stuck with this little moment.

I've decided that even if Yugi and the puzzle are miles apart, that Yugi might still be able to hear Yami. At least in this fic, anyway. x3

First person POV is rare for me...it feels so awkward. But it seemed necessary for this theme.


	42. Food is the way: Fluff&Romance, G, AUish

**Theme:** 042- Food is the way to a man's heart; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Fluff/romance  
**Pairings:** YamixYugi  
**Warnings:** AU-ish  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Cooking was not his talent, but that wouldn't stop Yami from trying.  
**Disclaimer: **Still I do not own Yugioh.

* * *

"I want to bake Aibou a cake," Yami announced.

Jounouchi stared vaguely at him through half-open eyes. "Wha…?"

"A cake, I want to bake Aibou a cake."

"Yami…it's five o'clock in the morning."

"Yes, but I want to bake–"

"Bake a cake for Yugi, right." He yawned, blinking. "I got that."

"So I need your help!" Yami replied, scowling impatiently.

Turning, Jounouchi shuffled back into his apartment as Yami followed closely behind, closing the door as he continued, "He usually wakes up around seven, I figure two hours should be enough time. Do you think he would like regular icing, or that drizzly sugar-coating kind? Because I was thinking–"

"Yami, stop." Jounouchi collapsed backwards onto the couch, rubbing his eyes. "First of all…I doubt I have all the ingredients. Even if I did, I don't know the first thing about baking."

"Then we'll simply buy the ingredients," Yami said. "And the box of cake mix will have the recipe on it. I heard Aibou's mother say so."

"The store doesn't open until seven."

Yami frowned. "Well isn't there anyplace that opens sooner?"

"Sure, if you want to buy Yugi breakfast from a restaurant."

"Aibou is your best friend. It's his birthday today, and I want to make him a cake, and you're being extremely unhelpful," Yami observed. Jounouchi groaned.

"It's five o'clock in the morning! I would love to help you bake a cake to surprise Yugi with, but not at _five in the morning_."

"Well I can't just go back to his house empty-handed, not after his grandfather got up early just to unhook the alarm so I could sneak out."

Sighing, Jounouchi sat up. "Okay…here're your options. Either wait till seven and we can go buy the ingredients, or I guess we could call up Anzu or Mai and hope that they can loan us some stuff and give us a recipe. Or, using what I do have, you can find a recipe on the internet and make him something else."

"It would be rude to wake them. Fire up the computer," Yami said cheerfully, walking into the kitchen. Jounouchi fell back against the couch. Of course Yami would only find it rude to bother _them_.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Aibou!"

Yugi tilted his head slightly at the plate Yami had just presented him with. "Wow, Yami…um…this is a surprise."

"Jounouchi didn't have anything to bake a cake with," Yami said, looking at his partner hopefully. "We did the best we could."

"That's really nice of you, thank you…" _But what is it?_

"I know it's a little overly cooked, but it's not bad on the inside."

Yugi still couldn't find a polite way to ask, and finally said, "So…what is this called?"

"We decided to call it fruit bread," he replied, looking proud.

Yugi's eyebrows furrowed. "Fruit…?"

"Well we found a recipe for fruit cake…we didn't have the ingredients for it though. Then we found recipes for things like banana bread and zucchini bread, so we combined those with the fruit cake one and modified that recipe for the ingredients that Jounouchi did have."

Nervously, Yugi recalled all the other times Yami had gotten creative with cooking. Jounouchi wasn't too bad at it, but Yami had a tendency to shirk instructions and do what seemed 'right' to him. More alarmingly, he also had the ability to convince even the most level-headed of cooks that his ideas were worth a try.

Only then did he realize Yami was still watching him. Hurriedly he tried to smile, but he couldn't conceal the trepidation in his expression. Looking crushed, Yami lowered his eyes and started to back away.

Yugi couldn't stand seeing him so disappointed and reached out. "Wait Yami, I'll try some."

"It's okay Aibou. You don't have to."

"No, really, let me. After all, you and Jounouchi did all this just for me."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Now give it back, let me try a bite."

Yami watched anxiously as Yugi chewed. "What do you think?"

"I think it's great."

His cheeks flushed as he sat down on the bed beside Yugi and put an arm around his shoulders. "Thanks for saying that to try to make me feel better."

Yugi snuggled closer. "You tried, that's what counts."

"Happy birthday, Aibou," he whispered, placing a feathery kiss on his neck. "I promise to go to the store later and get you a real cake."

Yugi smiled and leaned his head back against him. "Thank you, Yami."

"Well you deserve something edible."

"No. I meant thank you for this. Nobody else has ever gotten up at five in the morning to make me 'fruit bread' before." He smiled wider, leaning up to kiss his lips. "I love you."

Yami smiled back. "I love you too."

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** This was originally going to be posted yesterday for Marik's birthday, but I got too busy. Sorry Marik! Happy belated birthday, and happy Christmas Eve everyone! Expect a lot of ficspam the next couple days. xD


	43. Silent words: Angst&Introspective, G

**Theme:** 043- Silent words; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** Angst/introspective  
**Pairings:** YamixYugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Strength is sometimes a weakness.  
**Disclaimer: **If Yugioh was mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfiction.

* * *

Happiness or strength. We can only choose one.

You thought you knew me, but I have lied to you from the beginning and I am lying to you now, just as you lied to me when you told me this was what you wanted.

I will not tell you that I wonder what would happen if I dropped my duel disk here and ran to you. That I wonder what it would be like to be held by you and to hold you back. I want to know what it would be like, if we could be happy.

But the choice is yours, and I will not let you see this side of me, even if it means lying to you up until the last second. You can tell me this is what you want, and I will pretend it doesn't hurt. We can force ourselves down this path that means saying good-bye and you will never have to know how much I have deceived you.

Despite knowing that every step we have taken was meant to find a way to return me to my world, I would take all those steps back if it could change things. But you've vowed to help me with my journey home to a world without you, and you won't break that promise. You have made your choice.

I wanted to admire that. I tried to admire that, but I can't.

Because now I wish that you could let go of your duty. I wish that you wouldn't be strong anymore, that you would be weak enough to ask me not to leave.  
_  
__Aibou_, I'm weak enough to stay.

* * *

**Notes: **Happy birthday Kaoru! I hope it's a good one!

This theme was a pain in the arse to write. I'm happy with the ending, but the beginning...I've fiddled around with it for hours and I'm just sick of looking at it, so this is what it is. ^^;;


	44. What you mean to me: Gen&Serious, G

**Theme:** 044- What you mean to me; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** G  
**Genre:** General/serious  
**Pairings:** Yami no YugixYugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** It was too late to go back to a normal life, but Yugi wouldn't even if he could.  
**Disclaimer: **Still not mine.

* * *

Despite how exhausted Yugi should have been, he couldn't fall asleep. Every time he closed his eyes, visions of the evening would flash across his eyelids. The semi-finals of the Battle City tournament had left Bakura, Mai, and Rishid unconscious, Jounouchi had barely escaped serious injury, and Marik had lost control of himself to some sinister alter personality.

It was too much for someone to take and accept without question. Yugi worried sometimes how much more he could take. It didn't matter who was counting on him, the human mind had a breaking point. What if someday he just shut down? What if a time came when he couldn't handle these things anymore? He was just a kid, really. Almost all of them were, yet their lives had been stained by darkness and madness that any normal person wouldn't even believe could exist.

Yugi had been normal, once. He could barely remember a time like that now, a life without magic or danger or…

A strange chill swept his body for a moment, startling him.

_Aibou?_ A disembodied voice floated over. Yugi sat up and saw his other self's projection appear on the side of the bed.

"What is it mou hitori no boku?"

His other self was careful not to meet his eyes, sending up warning flags in Yugi's mind already. "Why aren't you asleep?" he asked. "You need rest."

"I know, it's just that so much has happened today…" Yugi said, getting the feeling that wasn't what the spirit had intended to say. He peered at the misty form. His other self hadn't said much to him this evening either. Yugi assumed he had a lot on his mind, too. Maybe he wanted to talk about what had happened.

"You're probably tired too, aren't you?" he said, scrunching the blankets in his fingers. "You went through a lot today, used a lot of your power. You should be resting, too."

"I'm fine." The spirit still wasn't meeting his eyes, which both puzzled and worried Yugi. He decided to bite the bullet and ask straight out:

"Is there something you want to talk about?"

His other self hesitated. "I…I guess there is…one thing."

"What's that?"

The spirit's projection appeared to shift its weight, whatever weight a ghost had. "It's not a big deal," he said quickly, his appearance fading a little, before Yugi reached out and touched his hand lightly to his arm. It always felt odd, touching the spirit, who felt like neither solid nor air, but a sort of mutable substance that he could feel, but not hold too tightly.

"If it's something that's been bothering you, you can tell me. It's okay. I want to know."

His other self swallowed. "I have…been wondering…do you regret solving the puzzle?"

Yugi was stunned, unable to speak, leaving the spirit the opportunity to say in a rush, "If you had not, if we had never merged, you wouldn't be here right now. Your friends wouldn't be in the hospital, your lives wouldn't be in danger. You could be…normal."

Yugi realized suddenly that the spirit must have sensed his unprotected thoughts earlier.

"Oh, mou hitori–"

"I'm sorry, aibou," he continued, looking down at his hands. "I'm sorry I couldn't prevent your possession, that I couldn't have vanished somehow–"

"Mou hitori no boku, stop!" Yugi said, tightening his grip, his fingers suddenly sliding through the projection in his agitation. "How long have you been thinking this?"

The spirit's eyes widened. "I…not for very long."

The lie was so blatant that Yugi didn't even bother to try to believe it. He slumped slightly, bringing his hands to his head. "Mou hitori no boku…how could I have let you continue to believe that?"

"I didn't bring it up before," the spirit said, alarmed, reaching out for him now. "You couldn't have been expected to magically know…"

"But I've seen you feel guilty before, over what your presence caused. I should have known, should have thought…" Yugi shook his head. "You should never have to wonder about this!"

"Aibou…?"

He seemed to compose himself for a moment, then lowered his hands and met the spirit's eyes before the spirit could look away. "I want you to tell me the truth, mou hitori no boku. Tell me, what am I to you? Am I just your host?"

The spirit drew in a breath. "No, of course not. I cannot see you as just a host. Aibou…you are…my friend, my family…you are everything. You mean everything to me."

"Exactly," Yugi said, ignoring the flutter in his heart that the words caused. "So don't you see? That's how I feel about you. You aren't another personality or a responsibility to me, you're a person. You're a friend. I could never…never regret you. I never want you to think that I could."

"But…but your life–"

"I don't want that normal life," Yugi interrupted. "I made my choice to keep on this path with you. It's human to wonder about what I gave up, but I knew what I was doing when I chose not to just disassemble the Puzzle and give up. I don't regret it. You mean too much, you…"

_You mean more than anything._

Even though he refrained from saying the words, he made no attempt to block the thought. Something in the spirit's eyes gentled, and the corners of his lips tugged upwards.

"I understand," he said softly.

* * *

**Notes:** Ah, the discussion-in-the-middle-of-the-night scene. I've done several, and I'm destined to write several more. It's a staple of Puzzleshippers, I think.

Based on a scene from volume 10 of Silver Diamond. x3

The new Yugioh movie came out in Japan today. Rejoice!


	45. Til the end: Tragedy&Horror, PG13, AU

**Theme:** 045- 'til the end of time; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Genre:** Tragedy/horror  
**Pairings:** YamixYugi  
**Warnings:** AU, character death, murder/suicide, don't even TRY to find something happy about this one...xD  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** He would not let death choose when to take them. It would end on his terms.  
**Note:** Inspired by a picture from Kyuubikun on devART.

* * *

Silent, blank-eyed, Yami closed the door of his car. He walked up the driveway, the same walk he'd taken every day for years, but now it felt different. The world he knew so well seemed to have been transformed itself into an alien place. He unlocked the door and stepped through, shutting it behind him with a soft click. The silence inside was broken now by his quick, shaky breathing.

He felt sick. He _was_ sick.

_"We've received your test results, we'd like you to come in to discuss them."_

How was it that he'd gotten that phone call only two hours before?

Swaying, he leaned into the wall, choking. Even through all his other thoughts – how, why, this couldn't be, _no_ – one rose about the rest.

How would he tell Yugi?

After they'd been so careful, so sure that he, at least, had been spared…suddenly it just appeared? The first test, taken just after Yugi got his results, had come up negative. This test was supposed to just confirm what they knew, it was supposed to be negative too, so _why…_

_"It takes up to six months to appear, the first one probably just didn't pick it up."_

It didn't matter, really. All along the poison had been inside him, waiting. Probably given to him by Yugi, though that was something Yami knew he could never say aloud. Yugi had been so relieved when he found out that Yami's results had been negative. Even wasting away in a bed, he'd beamed, thrilled to hear that his partner, at least, would go on living. And Yami had hated himself for continuing to live. Now he hated himself for dying.

He couldn't tell Yugi. Yugi could _never_ be allowed to know, never be allowed to carry that sort of burden on his soul. The only question was of how long he could hide it, if it was possible to keep the secret until Yugi died. He wasn't sure. It had taken surprisingly little time for the disease to strike his lover. Symptoms could appear within weeks, and Yugi, who had already been through it all, would know what they were from.

Unless he ensured that Yugi never saw him reach that point.

Swallowing heavily, he moved toward a closet and knelt to rummage inside. From a box in the back he found a knife, encased in a leather sheath. A birthday gift from years upon years ago, back when his father had hoped Yami would someday display some semblance of masculinity and show an interest in hunting with his dad. Yami had never understood his father's hobby, but had kept the hunting knife all the same. It had been one of the last gifts his family ever gave him before kicking him out of the house for good.

Long, still deadly sharp…it was made to cut through bone.

He shook his head and threw the knife down. His thoughts didn't feel real. Even with death hovering over his shoulder, he couldn't believe he was at this point.

Nearby, a clock ticked. He'd promised to meet Yugi at the hospice after going to the doctor's – now he was gladder than ever that he hadn't told Yugi why he was going there.

_I should go. Yugi will be waiting. If I'm late, he'll only ask questions._

Yami looked back down at the knife. He didn't have to let the disease take him. He could make it so fast, so simple. He didn't fear for his soul; if the churches were to be believed, he and Yugi were both damned anyway. If sex was enough to warrant Hell, if he was going there already, then this would do no more harm…

_Yugi has already served his time in Hell_, he thought angrily, gritting his teeth. God's judgment, some called it. They stood on street corners, declaring that the torture this disease caused was just punishment. Punishment for loving another man, for defying nature, for defying their _precious fucking morality_. And, of all people, it had been _Yugi_ who had held him back whenever they came across the righteous, who had grabbed his arms and forced him not to kill every last one of them.

Wasn't this enough? Wasn't Yugi's sin paid for a hundred times over yet? Yugi, who had never cursed God, who had always said God was _forgiving_ and _merciful_, believing that even when he was holding back screams from pain. If Yugi found out that Yami was sick too, sick with a disease Yugi had given him…it would crush him. It would destroy his belief in mercy and fairness.

His eyes stung with anger and fear and something else he couldn't name.  
_  
__Damn you then, God. Damn you for thinking you can get away with hurting him when he was loyal to you. I won't let you. He will never carry that weight._

Slowly, he closed his fingers over the knife and stood up.

* * *

"Yami!" Yugi broke into a smile from where he was sitting, propped up in bed. Yami couldn't make himself smile back much anymore, not when faced with the weak shell that Yugi had become. Even in his smile, Yami saw the pain Yugi was in. Every hour, every second of his life, Yugi suffered.

How many times had he wondered if there wasn't some quick, simple way to end it all? But they had only ever been thoughts before. Even in those most desperate moments, when Yugi, out of his mind in pain, had begged him to find some way to make it stop, he'd never thought he'd be here now, his final decision in mind.

He certainly couldn't make himself smile back today. It was all he could do not to run from the room. Stiffly, he moved closer to the bed, and saw Yugi's smile fade to concern.

"Yami? What's wrong?"

Tears sprung to Yami's eyes at the question. Everything, _everything_ was wrong. They were supposed to be in their house, not a hospice. They were supposed to healthy and safe, not sick. They were supposed to grow old together, supposed to be _happy_…

He'd given up on that dream the day Yugi's test came back positive.

"Feel like you can stand up?" Yami managed to ask. Yugi nodded.

"Just for a little bit though."

"I know." He reached out, trembling as he took Yugi's hands and helped him stand, wrapping one arm around him to support him. He felt so light. So fragile.

Yugi gazed up at him. Yami could see the glaze from the cocktail of drugs he was on in his eyes, but today he was lucid. "Yami, are you okay?"

Yami nodded, his eyes filled with tears anyway.

"Yugi…will you…hold me for a moment?"

Yugi smiled gently, laying his head on Yami's shoulder, his arms around his neck. "Of course."

"Cl– close…close your eyes, okay?"

Without questioning him, Yugi did so, nuzzling closer. Absolute trust. No restraint.

Yami felt his tears on his face as he reached down, pulling his shirt up a little at the side to reach the knife handle concealed by the hem, the sheath hidden down the leg of his jeans.

The pain, the sickness…it ended here.

_Yugi, please understand…and someday…_

"Y-Yugi…I…I love you…" he whispered, shaking, embracing him. "I will love you…until the end of time. I promise. Don't you ever…ever forget that."

"I know," Yugi whispered back, his eyes still closed. "I love you too, Yami. Always."

"N-no matter what?"

"No matter what."

Holding him up with one hand, Yami held the knife in the other, and positioned it behind Yugi, the quivering tip less than an inch from Yugi's back. The knife in place, he moved so that both his hands were gripping the handle, holding it as firmly as he could. The new position caused Yugi to lean into him more for balance. Yami shifted slightly, to place his own spine in alignment with Yugi's, parallel to the metal blade.

He buried his face into Yugi's neck, closing his eyes against his tears.

_Please…please forgive me someday._

He took one last breath, and yanked the knife forward.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Um…so yeah. You get to decide if Yami dies too, or survives and has to live on not only sick, but knowing he murdered his love. Because I'm just full of cheer like that. xD  
The disease in question is HIV, (that was probably obvious…), and I set this back when treatments were fairly limited…and prejudice was quite a bit more rampant, though there are still asshats who claim, "HIV is God's punishment" today, too. _  
Hopefully you enjoyed this one as much as it can be enjoyed, because I practically gave myself a nervous breakdown writing it. So not my style nor subject.  
Technically a gun would make more SENSE...but it was based on a picture involving a sword, so a knife was the only choice.


	46. Support: General&Humor, PG13

**Theme:** 046- Support; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Genre:** General/humor  
**Pairings:** Yami no YugixYugi implied  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Friendship was not always as easy as it sounded, especially when leather clothes were involved.

* * *

"How about this, mou hitori no boku?" Yugi studied the effect of the leather outfit critically in the mirror, then glanced toward the bed for approval.

He didn't answer at first, too busy gazing at the vision before him. His aibou, clad in shiny black from head to toe…suddenly the spirit's chest felt strangely tight. "Er…"

"Too much?"

"No…no, not at all."

"Mou hitori no boku, come on, be a little more helpful here. I need this outfit to look great."

He desperately dragged his thoughts away from Yugi's legs. "Um…some silver jewelry might look nice with it."

Yugi's cheeks flushed. "I already have wristbands–"

"Oh no, some more would be better!" he replied.

"Hmn, if you say so." Yugi walked over to his desk. The spirit, sitting on the bed, felt his thoughts sliding away again. The black leather hugged every curve of Yugi's body perfectly. When Yugi walked across the room, it stretched and flowed with his movements. He wondered vaguely why Yugi had never worn it before.

Having adorned his arms with extra jewelry, Yugi turned to display the final outfit. "What do you think? Will Anzu like it? I've never tried out this kind of style before…can I pull it off?"

_Oh, you most certainly may_, the spirit's inner voice chimed in, with an accompanying mental image. He gulped at the sight and nodded, averting his eyes quickly towards the floor. "You…you look fine, Aibou. Anzu will like it." It was all the support he could muster, knowing it was for her, not himself, who Yugi was so carefully selecting his clothes. And it would be she who got to look at him all day in them…

"Thanks. We'd better get going, we don't want to keep Anzu waiting!" Yugi dashed from the room.

Back on the bed, he felt the familiar tug. His projection couldn't remain in one place if Yugi got too far away. But he held on long enough to watch Yugi leave, long enough to watch those leather-bound legs and hips and shoulders sway with each step, until Yugi had left the room, and he was pulled back into the Puzzle. There, with a very strong shield up against their mind link, he mulled over the tricky situation of being Yugi's fashion advisor. It was, of course, natural to ask one's friends about their opinions of an outfit. Especially an outfit to be worn on a date. But…_this_?

Friendship, he decided, could be excruciating.

* * *

**Notes: **Poor Yami will be even more put-out when he discovers he's the one going on the date in sexy clothes. xD Happy Valentine's Day everyone!


	47. Miscommunication: Serious&Rom, PG, AU

**Theme:** 047- Miscommunication; for 100_chances  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Serious/romance  
**Pairings:** YamixYugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Secrecy, lying, coming home late...Yugi didn't want to face what Yami's actions might mean, but he couldn't avoid it forever.

* * *

Jounouchi could tell something was wrong with Yugi. He waited through most of lunch, hoping he would come out with whatever was bothering him on his own, but Yugi remained silent as he picked at his food.

Sensing that he wasn't going to get any information by remaining silent, Jounouchi drew in a deep breath and took the plunge. "Hey, Yugi?"

"Huh?"

He twirled the straw in his cup, hoping to sound offhand. "Is everything okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You just seem distracted."

Yugi sighed and set down his chopsticks. "I guess I am."

"Something on your mind?"

"Well…kind of. It's no big deal though."

"You sure I can't help?"

Yugi sighed again, more of a huff, and shook his head. "I'm sure. It's between me and Yami, there's nothing you can do. Thanks though."

"What could possibly be between you?" he asked. "Things have always been paradise with you two. Sometimes you practically make me nauseous with your sweetness."

The humor didn't have the effect he'd hoped for. Yugi simply looked even more miserable. Jounouchi put down his cup.

"Yugi, c'mon, what's going on? I've never seen you act like this before."

Eyes trained down at the countertop, Yugi propped his head in his hands. "I think…Yami might be cheating on me."

"_What_?" Jounouchi said, his jaw dropping. "Why would you think that? Yami loves you. You guys have been together for years. He knows he's found someone great in you, there's no reason he'd go off with anybody else."

"I know that." He shifted, running one hand through his spiky hair and leaning into his palm. "It isn't like I _want_ to believe it. I never would have dreamed he would cheat on me either. But lately…he's been acting so secretive. He comes home late, he's nervous anytime I go on our computer, he's become very shady about his bank account…just last week he told me he had to go into work on Saturday for a meeting, and I saw Meiko-san at the grocery store and mentioned it, and he didn't know anything at all about a meeting."

"Oh." Jounouchi took a sip of his drink, not knowing what else to say.

"The signs aren't good," Yugi said, eyes still downcast. "I have to confront him, but…I don't want to hear him tell me he's found someone else. I don't want him to leave me."

"Maybe…maybe it isn't what you think."

"What could it be, then?" Yugi demanded, lifting his head. "What else would he ever hide from me? Why would he suddenly care if I check our joint e-mail account? Why would he suddenly be lying to me about going to a meeting? If it was something innocent, he'd have told me the truth!"

Helpless, Jounouchi just nodded and tried to look sympathetic. Yugi buried his face back in his hands.

"Why would he do this, Jounouchi? I love him…just last month we were talking about buying a real house together. We had one we really liked, we were going to buy it and have a commitment ceremony in our yard. We were going to legally change our names so we could have the same last name, even if it wasn't a real marriage that the government recognized. We were going to…spend our lives together and now he's found someone else!"

"Yugi…I know the signs are bad but you don't know for a fact that he's with someone else."

"The other day I walked into the living room when he was listening to the messages on the phone. The minute I walked in he shut the message off and erased it. He told me it was just a telemarketer, but I heard a little of it. It was a man's voice, saying something about coming over, or how Yami could meet him later…" Yugi bit his lip. "I can't keep lying to myself. I want to believe this is all a misunderstanding, but…what if it isn't? What will I do then?"

Jounouchi reached across the table and patted his shoulder. "You'll be okay. If you're right, then Yami isn't the person we all thought he was, and you deserve better than him."

It didn't console Yugi, who murmured, "I love him. I never thought I'd say I loved someone, until I met him. And now…"

"Do you want me to talk to him? See if he'll admit anything? Maybe give him a good punch in the face?" Jounouchi's voice was slowly shifting into a protective growl.

"No. I decided this morning that I'm going to talk to him when he gets home later." Yugi straightened up. "I can't put it off and hope that it goes away on its own."

"If it turns out he is cheating on you, _then_ can I punch him in the face?"

He finally succeeded in getting a tiny laugh out of Yugi. "Okay, then you can."

* * *

When Yugi heard the door open, he stiffened in his seat. Down the hall he heard the door click shut, the sound of shoes being kicked off, and then Yami's voice calling out, "I'm home! Yugi, are you here?"

It was so unfair. Yami's voice used to be the sound of comfort to him, the sound of safety and love. Now it only brought a painful sting to his heart. In just a few minutes he would know the truth, and then Yami's voice would be only the sound of betrayal and broken dreams.

"Yugi?" Yami asked again as he walked into the room and spotted Yugi sitting at the table. He brightened. "Hey, I thought maybe you weren't home."

"No, I am."

Setting down his attaché case, Yami leaned over to kiss him. Yugi, hating himself for it, automatically tilted his head up to kiss him back. The taste of his lips made his eyes grow wet. He squeezed them shut, trying not to cry openly. He couldn't do that; he couldn't give Yami the satisfaction of seeing him broken.

Yami, however, had noticed something was wrong.

"Hey, Yugi…are you alright?"

Yugi, struggling to keep tears at bay, hesitated before he shook his head. Yami pulled out the chair across the table from him, scooting in and staring worriedly. "What is it? Did something happen to Jounouchi? I know you were having lunch with him today."

Again, Yugi shook his head. This time he managed speech. "No. Jounouchi's fine."

"Then what is it?"

Yugi grit his teeth. "Don't say that like you don't know!"

Yami, looking bewildered and scared: "Yugi, I _don't_ know. Please talk to me, tell me what's making you so upset. Let me help."

"I know you've been lying to me," Yugi said, staring down at his lap. He drew in a long, shaky breath. "I know that there was no meeting last Saturday. I know that you don't have to work such long hours. I know that man on the phone wasn't a telemarketer. I know everything, okay? You don't have to lie to me any more. I know what you're hiding. I just…want to hear from you that it's true."

Yami's face fell. Looking crushed, he asked, "Who told you?"

Despite his best attempts, the tears escaped. It was too much…the suspicions were bad enough, but to hear Yami admit that Yugi was right? To admit that everything Yugi had just said was true? And Yami couldn't even have the decency to at least _say_ it. Instead, all he cared about was who had told on him.

"Nobody told me, I found out on my own," Yugi said loudly, speaking through sobs.

"Oh."

Yugi couldn't take it any longer. He couldn't sit here at this table, in this tiny apartment kitchen they had shared for years, and stay calm. It felt like any second he would burst into tears too hard to speak around, and he had to get the conversation over with before that happened. "Look…I know, so you don't have to give me any of the details. Just tell me…how long did you think lying to me would work? When were you planning on finally telling me?"

"Soon, I swear. I just needed a little more time, I was going to tell you this weekend. I had this big plan, how we would go out and I would tell you…"

Yugi just sat there with his eyes closed, feeling too sick to know what to say. A big plan? What, breaking his heart wasn't going to be enough? Confessing was going to require humiliating him in public as well?

Yami broke the silence tentatively. "Um…Yugi…can I ask you something now?"

"Sure, whatever," he mumbled.

"If you know…then why are you so upset? I guess I'm no good at keeping secrets, but now you know why I did, so…what's with the tears? This wasn't the way I'd planned for you to find out, but I'd still hoped that you'd be happy."

Yugi's eyes flew open. "Happy?" he demanded. "You thought I would be _happy_?"

"Well…I had hoped."

"You thought I would be _happy_ about the man I love _cheating on me_?"

There was a heavy silence in the room. Yami just stared at him, looked utterly baffled, and finally said, "…What?"

"Don't '_what_' me! You just sat there and admitted everything! Don't try to play innocent now!"

"Yugi, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not cheating on you."

"But…the lies and the…the hiding things and that phone message…"

"You thought I was admitting to cheating?"

"Well, what else would you be admitting to?" Yugi asked, frustrated.

Yami stood up.

"Yami, what are you–"

"Just wait here," he said.

Yugi, not knowing what else to do, waited. A few moments later Yami returned to the room carrying a thick file folder, and slid it across the table.

"What is this?" Yugi asked.

"It's what I've been hiding."

Yugi looked up at him and back down at the file and then gingerly opened it. He sifted through the papers, trying to make sense of what they were through the fog in his brain. Finally he shook his head. "Yami…what exactly is all this? I'm…having a hard time concentrating."

"What I've been hiding is that I've been trying to get the house ready to show you. Those are the contracts, the correspondence, the receipts...everything I've been working on."

"The house?" Yugi repeated. "What house?"

"_The_ house," Yami said. "The one you fell in love with the minute the real estate agent showed it to us. I decided to secretly start the tear-out so we could decorate it however we wanted…however you wanted, really. I was going to get it ready and then tell you I would take you on a picnic this weekend, but instead of going to the park we'd go there, and…it was supposed to be a surprise."

"You…bought a house?"

"Well, sort of. I've been working with the agent to let me send crews in to start the tear-out with the agreement that on Saturday we would go into his office and co-sign the final contract. It's as much your house as mine."

"You bought _us_ a house?"

He smiled shyly. "Well, except when it comes to decorating, then it's mostly yours. I know how much not being allowed to paint in here has driven you crazy."

Way too many thoughts were flying around inside Yugi's head. It was too much on his brain to go from angry and hurt to shocked and excited within a few minutes.

"Yugi?" Yami asked. "Yugi, say something."

"So…the phone calls, the…staying late and the fake meeting…were all to work on this? This is why you've been so shady?"

"Yes. I couldn't let you see the e-mails from the agent. Obviously I couldn't tell you I was meeting with the agent, and if I told you my bank account balance you'd have seen the difference when I paid the deposit and construction crew. I knew you'd ask questions."

"You weren't cheating on me, then," Yugi said, staring down at the papers.

"Yugi…" Yami reached out, took his hands, and gently pulled him to his feet. "Why would you think I ever would?"

Yugi couldn't meet his eyes. Ashamed, he stared down at Yami's feet. "All the signs seemed to point to it. The secrecy, the lies, hearing a strange man's voice on the answering machine saying it would be okay to meet him later…I didn't want to believe it, Yami. For weeks I refused to believe it. But I knew deep down I couldn't be naïve, no matter how much I loved you. I had to accept that there might be a less-than-innocent reason for it all, and then once I started to worry, it just spiraled into panic. I was afraid to lose you, afraid to hear you say you loved someone else."

"I see. I guess…all those things do sound like a spouse having an affair. But Yugi…" He tilted Yugi's chin up with one hand, making him meet his eyes. "Yugi, I swear to you…you are and have always been the only one. I would rather spend the rest of my life alone than with someone who wasn't you."

Yugi's eyes re-filled with tears, but these ones weren't accompanied by heartache. "I always believed that deep down," he whispered. "I didn't want to believe anything else."

"You'll never have to." Yami enfolded him in his arms and leaned in to meet and part Yugi's lips in a long kiss. Yugi returned it, relieved that Yami's touch once again brought comfort.

"You do like the house, right?" Yami asked as they finally broke apart, though remained entwined in a tight embrace. "I mean….this was a good surprise, wasn't it?"

"_Like_ it? I love it, Yami." Yugi spontaneously kissed him again and beamed up at him. "I can't wait to get started decorating."

Yami smiled back. "That's the reaction I was hoping to get."

Yugi snuggled against his chest, smiling. All the anger and hurt was gone. He felt secure again, and he was already wondering why he ever could have thought Yami would leave him. Then he remembered he and Jounouchi's conversation earlier.

"Um…Yami?"

"Yes?"

"If I don't get a chance to talk to Jounouchi and you two see each other before I do and he punches you in the face…don't be mad at him, okay?"

Yami furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would Jounouchi punch me?" Seconds later, he answered his own question at the sight of the guilt in Yugi's eyes. "…You told him your suspicions."

"Yeah."

"Great…it's probably all over Domino by now. I'll have complete strangers punching me in the face."

"I'll call everyone later," Yugi promised. "And I'll tell them to spread the word about what was really happening."

"Later? What's wrong with right now? Your boyfriend's safety is at stake!"

"I don't feel like moving right now," Yugi said, leaning up and capturing Yami's lips this time. Yami's eyes fluttered near-closed, so that when Yugi finally pulled away, the both of them breathing rather heavily, he gazed down at him through half-closed eyes and whispered, "Later sounds good," before he leaned in to return the kiss.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** This was originally written as a gift for a friend. In retrospect it was probably the worst possible plot I could have chosen for her gift, but only hindsight is twenty-twenty and all. X_x I decided it suited this theme pretty well.

Last night I was counting, and I've only got 16 and a half (I'm almost done with another) more themes to write for this challenge, and then I'll officially be done with the writing part. Then it'll just be a matter of tweaking and posting. It's so weird to think I've come so far with it. I'm really looking forward to sharing some of the future ones!


	48. Delivery person: General&Angst, G, AU

**Theme:** 048- Delivery person; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/angst  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** 'Atemu'xYugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Everything was supposed to be fine, and if only he could just ignore those things called emotions, maybe he could convince himself that everything was.

* * *

Every year, pausing on the corner, he went through the same roller coaster of emotions. Hope, fear, guilt…they looped through his head a few times, each following the next in a cycle, until he forced himself around the corner and looked up at the outside dining area of the small restaurant. His heart pounded in excitement, betraying his desire to not feel anything.

And, as every year, _he_ was there. Sipping a glass of iced tea, perusing the newspaper. Looking relaxed, looking…great. As always.

Yugi put on a smile and walked over. "Hey Atemu."

He looked up and beamed. "Yugi!" He stood, holding out his hand. Yugi took it for a moment, smiling up at him, a real smile this time, one that spread uncontrollably across his lips at the mere sight of Atemu looking happy to see him.

"How have you been?" Atemu asked as they sat down.

"Not bad. How about you?"

"Busy, mostly," Atemu said.

"So work's been good?"

"Definitely."

"Tell me about the most exciting job," Yugi said, his standard first ice-breaker question whenever he saw Atemu.

Atemu looked thoughtful. "Well, about nine months ago I was delivering some gems from one king to another, payment for something I think, and was attacked by a band of robbers. I managed to subdue them, keep them alive to turn them in for the bounty, and still get the payment to its destination on time. Next thing you know, every high-up government official wants me to carry out their shady deals. Much better pay, and I get to travel more, but there are downsides to being so busy. Of course, I still made room to make it here. Some things are more important than a job." He smiled.

"You were attacked?" Yugi finally asked, his mouth dry.

"By nine people." Atemu nodded. Yugi didn't miss the note of pride in his voice. "It wasn't easy, believe me, but the bounty really came in handy and the reputation isn't so bad either. Which reminds me…" He reached under the table and picked up a flat package, covered in gift wrap. "Happy birthday!"

Yugi was still concerned about the fact that Atemu's lifestyle was attracting dangerous criminals. The delivery person job came with an element of danger, Yugi had to accept that, but _robbers_? But Atemu seemed so pleased about getting him a gift that Yugi put his concern aside for a moment.

"Oh Atemu…you know you don't have to get me presents. Most delivery people have a partner who helps them make money and get jobs, you're supporting yourself. You should use that money for food or ammunition."

"Nonsense, your birthday deserves a gift. And for your information, I didn't actually buy this one. Now open it."

Peeling back the wrapper, Yugi found a wooden box that rattled. It was full of small carved pieces of wood and the box lid had intricate designs on the inside, inlaid with colourful stones.

"It's beautiful," he said, tracing one of the grooves.

"It's a game from a tribe in the west," Atemu explained. "They were caught in a horrible sickness awhile back and there was one medicine woman in the north who they thought could help. There was another tribe they were warring with between them, so I had to get her there safely. We made it and she was able to save a lot of people. Their leader kept trying to give me gifts, so I finally accepted this. I knew you would like it. I'm not entirely sure how it's played, but I'm sure your grandfather will know about it."

Yugi bit his lip. "Atemu…thank you."

"Hey…" Atemu peered at him worriedly. "It's nothing to cry over. I thought this would make you happy, why are you crying?"

He wiped his eyes. "No, I know. I just…it means a lot to me. You know, that…you think of me while you're gone and stuff. Thank you though, I love it."

He took a deep breath. He needed a less emotional topic. Luckily the waiter intervened, coming by to take their lunch orders. When he left, Atemu smiled and propped his arms on the table. "So enough about my job. Come on, tell me what's been up while I've been gone."

As they ate and chatted, Yugi's thoughts drifted to the past. For as long as he had known him, Atemu had always had an insatiable wanderlust. He talked all the time about becoming a delivery person. Yugi was proud of him when he finally got his license. And things were fine until Atemu began bringing up the idea of becoming internationally registered. The pay was greater and there would be more jobs, but they'd be more dangerous and time consuming.

It was his dream, Yugi didn't want to stand in the way of that, but he also couldn't pack up his life to traipse around the world with him. So when Atemu walked into the living room one morning in tears, Yugi wasn't surprised or angry. He'd known the split was coming. He wished him luck and told him to come back and visit. And Atemu had done so faithfully, every year on Yugi's birthday. It was obvious that the drifter's life suited him. He always seemed healthy and strong. But even now, six years later, his eyes were tinted by the same sadness they held the day he left. Yugi found it easier to pretend like he didn't notice.

But he did. Of course he did.

And today, as always, Yugi kept waiting for the question to come, but Atemu didn't even hint at it. The absence of it made Yugi a jittery wreck. He'd steeled himself for the question. He wanted to see if another year's worth of 'getting ready' was enough. But three hours later Atemu just stretched and said, "It's been great seeing you again, Yugi. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to be going. Have to catch a train to the port before the ship leaves without me, because the next one isn't leaving for two weeks."

Yugi stared at him. That was it? He couldn't stop himself, he had to say something. "Atemu…wait. You haven't made your offer yet."

"Offer?"

"Every year you ask me if I've changed my mind and want to be your partner."

Atemu looked down. "It didn't seem appropriate."

"Why not?"

He took a deep breath. "It's been six years and I thought…six years is a long time, you know? I don't want to be that person who guilt trips you for the rest of your life. So I though it's probably time I stopped jokingly making offers that we both know aren't jokes."

Yugi bit his lip. This _wasn't_ how this talk was supposed to go. Atemu's eyes weren't supposed to be so deep, his voice wasn't supposed to be so heartbreaking. "Y-yeah…I guess that's true."

Atemu was watching him quietly. Yugi couldn't meet his eyes.

_Six years._

So why did it feel like it had only been yesterday? Why did it still hurt? It was a question he knew that Atemu had never asked himself. Atemu had said from the beginning that he loved him, knew all along that it was Yugi or nobody. It was Yugi who had made the attempts to move on and date and be normal. That was the right thing to do. He was doing the right thing, so _why_…

The silence had gotten to be too much. "Alright," Atemu said quietly. "Well…I'll see you next year then? Unless I get a job that brings me around this way."

Yugi nodded. "I'll see you then. Stop by any time."

"I'll try to write you letters more often." Atemu reached out and embraced him. Yugi hugged him back, blinking and fighting back the lump in his throat.

"Yeah, I would like to hear from you more," he said.

Atemu pecked his cheek; a habit he had picked up from the westerners. It was a chaste, friendly kiss, but one that made Yugi's heart leap anyway. Then he pulled away. "Bye Yugi. Take care."

"B-be careful. Bye…"

Atemu flung his bag over his shoulder, waved one last time, and turned to go.

Yugi watched as he walked away. He would no longer make jokes about Yugi taking off to be a delivery person with him. Maybe now he'd stop pining. Those years before, Yugi had thought he would do anything to hear that Atemu had moved on and stopped hurting over him. Now, the fact that Atemu had acknowledged that it was foolish to keep hoping might be a step in that direction. Maybe now he'd move on and open himself to the idea of finding someone else. It was what Yugi had always wanted…

So why didn't he feel happy?

He turned to go back home. Back to his monotonous life. Back to an empty house. Back to marking off the days until he could stand on that corner again, arguing with himself over what was real and what was 'right,' all to hide from the emotions he didn't want to feel.

* * *

**Notes:** The Delivery Person job was taken from the Stray Cat bonus manga from the Black Cat manga series. The idea being that the delivery person takes on assignments to "deliver" things or people, often dangerous or unusual, and is paid upon completion. I set this one in the Black Cat world, which is not the same geographically or technologically (air travel not being mainstream, for one) as our world.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm not wearing any green at all. xD But I have a green jacket I can wear, so that works!


	49. Fighters: General&Serious, G, AU

**Theme:** 049- Fighters; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/serious  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** 'Atemu'xYugi friendship  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Atemu had been hurt, but even in the worst moments there would always be one person he could trust.

* * *

It was close to midnight, just as Yugi was on the verge of falling asleep, when sudden knocking at his door jolted him upright. Expecting no one – and certainly not so late at night – he approached the front door with apprehension, peering through a window beside the door first to see who it was. He sighed with relief; he recognized the silhouette. Satisfied that it wasn't some crazy axe murderer, he unlocked the door and opened it.

"Atemu, hey. What are you doing here–?" He trailed off, gaping as Atemu lifted his head. In the glow of the security light over the stoop, he could see Atemu's face was splotched and puffy. Blood was smeared across it from cuts on his lip and cheek; his upper arms bruised with identical patterns of finger marks.

"Hi Yugi," he said quietly. "Can I come in?"

Yugi stood aside without speaking. Atemu walked inside, stopping in the entryway. Yugi closed the door and kept staring, his mouth too dry to speak. Finally he managed to croak, "Atemu…what happened?"

Atemu, his arms wrapped loosely around himself, hesitated a moment before murmuring, "I u-um…he was mad at me for being out when he came home from work. He thought I was cheating on him."

"_He_ did this?" Yugi's eyes narrowed. He had never really liked Atemu's lover, he found the man to be aggressive and jealous, but he had never dreamed he would do something like this.

Atemu nodded, biting his lip out of reflex and wincing at the sting. "I…I just need a place to stay tonight."

"Atemu, you can't go back there, not if he's turned to beating you up. Even if by tomorrow he's calmed down, he'll do this again. Have you called the police?"

"I'm not going back. I know I should have called the police, but even though he hurt me, even though he can't be forgiven, I…I l-love him and I couldn't." His eyes filled with tears and he turned his head as if to hide them from Yugi. "I know, I _know_ I should, but..."

The sound of guilt practically dripped from his words. Yugi stared at his turned-away face helplessly. "Oh, Atemu…"

"I'm sorry for showing up like this, I just…didn't know where else to go. I…thought of going to a shelter but those are only for women and I didn't know…if I'd be allowed."

Yugi, trying to swallow the turmoil inside himself at Atemu's broken voice, stepped away from the door. "You can stay here for as long as you want. I'll call the police for you."

"Thank you, Yugi." He met Yugi's eyes again, but remained where he stood. Yugi finally reached out, took his hand, and gently led him to the couch to sit. Then he got the first-aid kit out and tended to the scrapes he could help.

"Are you hungry?" he asked as he taped a last bit of gauze over his cheek. "Or thirsty? I'll get you something."

"No. I'm fine."

Yugi closed up the kit and sat down beside him on the couch. "Are you sure?"

Atemu didn't answer. Instead he looked down at his hands and said, "You know…I didn't want this. I didn't want to make him mad. I didn't want to fight. I hate fighting."

"I know."

"I told him the truth, I told him I loved him and I wasn't with anyone else." His eyes grew wet again. "And I apologized after he hit me the first time but it didn't…it didn't help. It only made him angrier."

"Atemu, it's okay. It's going to be okay."

"I didn't do anything wrong, did I? I thought…if he loves me I must have done something to deserve this, but I've been trying…to figure out what I did…and I didn't do anything wrong."

It shattered his heart to see the confused pain in Atemu's expression, and he couldn't help thinking:_ how could he do this to him?_

He knew Atemu. He was proud and loyal and once he let someone in he tended to throw himself into making them happy. The fact that someone had worked his way into his friend's heart only to use his loyalty against him and hurt him, both with his fists and in ways that didn't leave marks…it _infuriated_ him.

He didn't let Atemu see it though. He couldn't, not now. Atemu had seen enough anger for one night.

"No, you didn't." Yugi finally said as he put his arm around his shoulders, leaning back against the couch with him as Atemu buried his face into the crook of Yugi's neck and grit his teeth, still murmuring.

"I didn't…I didn't do anything wrong. So why…?"

"Shh." Yugi rubbed his shoulder gently, holding his trembling body close. "I know you didn't do anything wrong at all." He moved his hand to stroke Atemu's hair, brushing it back as he whispered, "It's all going to be okay."

* * *

**Notes:** Even people who are strong and intelligent can be victims of abuse. It doesn't only happen to weak-willed people, hence the reason Atemu was the victim. That and because I like woobie!Atemu and protective!Yugi, so sue me. I suppose this has some implied future Atemu/Yugi romance, but for now it's just friendshippy. Friendship is sweet too.

Atemu's lover is an OC, though if you'd like to imagine your least favorite male character in that role, feel free.

Happy Easter! Now back to hunting Easter Eggs on the Dragon Cave site. xD


	50. Kinetic energy: General, G, AU

**Theme:** 050 - Kinetic energy; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** 'Atemu'xYugi implied  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None.  
**Summary:** Yugi couldn't have anticipated who he might run into on his first day on campus -- or who might run into him.

* * *

**_Kinetic energy:_**_ n. The energy possessed by a body because of its motion, equal to one half the mass of the body times the square of its speed. – The American Heritage Dictionary_

Yugi scowled in frustration. This was a large college, _surely_ they had enough money to create somewhat helpful maps. Oh no, instead they put out these useless campus guides that didn't bother to have a you-are-here star. He was able to find his dorm building on the map quite easily, but the whole thing was ineffective if he didn't even know where he was in relation to it…

Sighing, he looked around in the hopes that someone might help, but all around him his fellow freshmen were absorbed in unpacking and moving their own boxes and the current students were all too busy to pay any attention to first-years.

"Look out!"

The shout came only a second before someone suddenly crashed into him, knocking him to the ground. Stunned, he found himself in a jumble of limbs, and it took a few confusing moments before he was upright, and found himself looking at a young man sitting beside him, an upside-down skateboard not far away. Across the lawn, a few people cheered for the excellent crash.

The stranger shook his head, looked over, and immediately scrambled to his feet, reaching out. "I'm so sorry…are you alright?"

"I…I think so." Yugi allowed him to pull him upright. His shoulder stung and he unconsciously raised his hand to it.

"I didn't see you in time to stop," the young man continued, his expression concerned. "There were all these people blocking you– oh no, you're hurt." He had spotted what was stinging; Yugi had scraped the back of his arm and shoulder on the concrete. "I'll get some first aid…the medic building is…no actually it's too far away…oh, I know, the campus store sells bandages, it's close by." He paced, rambling nervously with an accent Yugi couldn't quite place. "I'm so sorry, I really am, if I hadn't been going so fast I probably could have stopped, or at least not knocked you down so hard…"

"You don't have to do that," Yugi interjected, feeling sort of bad at seeing the stranger look so upset with himself. "I'm on my way to my dorm anyway, I'll clean it up there. It's okay, don't worry."

"Well…if you say so…but really, let me make up for my rudeness somehow. You're a freshman, right? Getting run into isn't a very good way to begin college."

"Yeah…" Yugi trailed off. "Actually, you _can_ help me. I'm trying to find my dorm building and this map is useless."

He peered over at the map. "Which building are you looking for?"

"Building six." Yugi pointed.

"Ah, that's easy, I'm in building seven. Follow this sidewalk, it'll lead you right to the dorms and then just look for the one with the big number six."

"That simple?" Yugi brightened. It looked as if he might actually be moved in before sundown after all. "Thanks…uh…"

"Atemu." He held out his hand, bowing his head as he did. Yugi smiled, shaking it and bowing back.

"I'm Yugi."

"Yugi…" He smiled when he said it, causing an interesting warmth in Yugi's chest. "I would say it was nice to meet you, but you might disagree."

Yugi laughed. "No, I agree. It was nice to meet you too. I'd just prefer that next time, it won't be at twenty-five kilometers an hour."

"I'd prefer that, too." He picked up his skateboard, setting it upright and resting one foot on it. He hesitated, lingering. "Well…if you're _positive_ that you're okay, I'll get going and let you get moved in. I'll see you around campus, I hope?"

"Yeah," Yugi nodded, waving as Atemu pushed his other foot against the ground and took off. He watched until he had rounded a corner, then picked up his bags. He found himself smiling.  
_  
__I hope._

* * *

**Notes:** Okay. Time to come clean. I…have kind of a thing for Yami as a skater boy. *ducks head* I can't help it. D= He'd be so adorable in the black shirts and cargo pants and little gloves. x3

I'm halfway through the challenge! Man, I never thought I'd make it to theme 050. I hope you've been enjoying the fics! Please do stick around for the next fifty if you'd like. I'll do my best to make them worth it!


	51. Hair dye: General, G

**Theme:** 051 - Hair dye; for 100_chances**  
Genre:** General**  
Rating:** G**  
Warnings:** None**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Summary:** Simple words can sometimes mean much more.

**

* * *

**

_'Where are we going now, Aibou?'_

"The hairdresser's," he murmured quietly.

_'The what?'_ the voice returned, puzzled.

Yugi didn't answer, reaching for a door handle and pulling it open. The sharp scent of hair dye, nail polish and acetone wafted out. The room was full of chatter and sound.

_'Aibou, what is this place?'_ The spirit looked around, intrigued.

_'I told you, the hairdresser's,'_ Yugi replied through their mind link this time, not wishing to be seen talking (apparently) to himself.

_'What's a "hairdresser's"?'_

_'It's a place people go to get their hair done.'_

_'Done?'_

_'You know, like haircuts and stuff.'_

The spirit's expression gave Yugi the impression that he didn't "know" at all, and Yugi took the moment of silence to give his name to the receptionist, then sat down to wait.

_'Aibou, what about them?'_ he pestered, pointing at a lady getting a manicure. _'That looks like it has nothing to do with hair.'_

_'She's getting a manicure. This hairdresser's is like a spa, you can get all sorts of things. Massages, manicures, pedicures…I'm here to get a haircut. Just a trim,'_ Yugi added. He tugged at a lock. _'It's getting a bit too long.'_  
_  
__'I think it looks fine, Aibou.'_

_'Thank you, but trust me, it's definitely getting too long.'_

The spirit studied him closely for a moment, his eyes darkening with concentration. Yugi's cheeks reddened. _'What are you doing?'_

He shook his head. _'Aibou, you look perfectly fine.'_

For some reason, the blush didn't leave Yugi's cheeks and he had to look away. _'You'll see afterwards what I mean.'_

"Mutou Yugi?" The hairdresser peered around the corner of the waiting area and smiled. "Your turn."

He stood and walked over to the chair, chatting politely as the spirit trailed after him, invisibly inspecting the room. Yugi had to hide a giggle as he noticed him staring at an electric hair curler in fascination.

The haircut didn't take long. Yugi had been going to this same hairdresser for most of his life. He'd chosen his rather eclectic style himself from a picture he saw in a music magazine when he was only five, and his parents, amused, had let him get it. Having grown fond of the way it looked, he decided to keep it, except now he dyed the red tips himself at home to save money. It was only after he met the spirit inside the Puzzle, (and noticed that the spirit's hair looked and acted the same as his), that he wondered if he hadn't been led to pick that style by something more than whim.

His other self, meanwhile, hovered nearby, watching. He remained silent as Yugi paid and walked out the door back into the mall.

_'Why so quiet all of a sudden, mou hitori no boku?'_ Yugi finally asked.

_'You pay for these things?'_

_'Haircuts? Of course.'_

_'But she barely did anything, she only washed it and trimmed off the tips.'_

_'Like I said, I only went in for a trim.'_

_'But it seemed so pointless,'_ he insisted. _'Why pay for something so simple?'_

_'There's more to it than that. It's fun to get a haircut. The hairdresser is really nice, and it's fun to be pampered for a few minutes.'_

_'Ah…'_ he said, thoughtfully.

_'Don't you think my hair looks good now?' _Yugi said, turning his head.

_'Aibou, it looked fine before.'_

_'Come on, you're just saying that to be nice.'_

_'No. I mean it, you looked great.'_ He paused suddenly and his voice grew shy. _'Well…not to say…you look great now as well, of course.'_

Yugi felt his cheeks burn suddenly as a smile he couldn't conceal crossed his lips. _'Thank you, mou hitori no boku.'_

* * *

**Notes:** We'll conveniently ignore that technically Yami's hair ought to be a wig. xD


	52. Switching places: General, G

**Theme:** 052 - Switching places; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Yami no YugixYugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** The Yami/Pegasus duel in DK...but is that really a spoiler anymore?  
**Summary:** The spirit did well hiding his fears, but not well enough.

* * *

_"I can see everything in your mind. Your hopes, your dreams…even your fears."_

The man standing across from him – never for a moment had Pegasus assumed that he was the true Yugi Mutou – stiffened visibly at the words. The sight made Pegasus smile. _"And what you fear most right now is me."_

And while the visions the Eye gave him were never wrong, that last statement was a lie.

The spirit inhabiting Yugi Mutou could scowl and glare to his heart's content, but there were some things no man, human or otherwise, could hide forever. The Eye saw past the outer shell and into the tightly locked soul beneath it.

A terrified soul.

He had pushed aside everything else for now. His mind was focused solely on the match. His most pressing fear was of losing and letting everyone down. Of letting _Aibou_ down.

And there it was, the crack that brought all his other fears to the surface. The concerns he was dismissing for the moment, but which would return to torment him the moment he had the chance to rest.

A lingering worry of hurting his vessel again. The terrible ache of knowing that, even though he referred to Sugoroku Mutou as "my grandfather," he did not have a family. Fear of someday returning to the darkness of the uncompleted Puzzle and equal fear of discovering who and what he really was.

And another tiny, hidden fear that the spirit himself wasn't even aware existed. The fear that caused him to be so deeply protective of the boy he possessed and to be so laughably vulnerable. He had allowed his vessel, who should be no more than a tool, the power to utterly destroy him and he didn't even know it.

It brought a new, twisted smile to Pegasus' lips. It was just the weakness he needed, a weakness that he had fallen prey to himself.

And therefore a weakness he knew exactly how to exploit.

* * *

**Notes:** In one way it's "switching places" because Yami is being viewed from an outside character. In another, it does take place during the duel in which Yugi and Yami switch places. xD It's meant to be a bit cryptic.

Dialogue is from the 4Kids dub, but I changed part of the dub canon and made it so that Pegasus was aware of who Yami was. Because I can.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YUGI (and Yami by extension)! =D I give you vague angst on your birthday. /o/


	53. Peaches: Fluff, PG, AUish

**Theme:** 053 - Peaches; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Fluff  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairings:** YamixYugi  
**Warnings:** AU-ish  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Yugi would always be two steps ahead of him.  
**Disclaimer: **If Yugioh wasn't mine last time I posted, it ought to be a given that it's still not mine.  
**Note:** Sequel to By Any Other Name, which is uploaded on this account.

* * *

"Okay, so I'm going to get going." Yugi swung his backpack over his shoulder. "I should be back by eight, it depends on traffic."

Yami got up from the computer, holding out his arms to hug him. "Good luck on the exams."

"Thanks." Yugi leaned up to kiss his lips, smiling. When he pulled away, Yami saw the smile fade.

"Something wrong?" Yami asked.

"No, something's just different." Yugi looked puzzled for a moment, then it hit him. "Yami…you changed your lip gloss _again_?"

He grimaced. "Well…"

"What happened to the mango-tangelo? You loved the mango-tangelo."

"I got tired of it. Besides, it's been over two weeks. If I recall, the agreement was simply that I would wear it for more than two weeks," Yami replied.

"So what flavor is this one? Peach?"

"You guessed it."

"I liked the mango-tangelo better," he said, giving Yami a disappointed look.

"Oh…well…I could wash this one off and wear that one for you if you'd prefer–" Yami said quickly, his words coming to a halt as Yugi leaned up and stopped them with another kiss, his tongue slipping between his partner's peachy lips. He grinned as he pulled away.

"I'm just messing with you, the peach is fine. Have a good day." With a flirty wave that never failed to stop Yami's heart, he vanished out the door, leaving Yami standing in the room, shaking his head in a bemused sort of way.

It seemed that Yugi would always be two steps ahead of him.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Happy birthday Mom! Here's some cutesy fluff for your birthday. 3


	54. Practical jokes: Fluff, PG, AUish

**Theme:** 054 - Practical jokes; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Fluff  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairings:** YamixYugi  
**Warnings:** AU-ish  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** The way Yami got so distracted by games, sometimes Yugi needed to come up with unorthodox ways to get his attention.

* * *

"Yami? Hey, Yami!" Yugi waited, but his lover's attention remained focused on the LCD screen of the game controller clasped in his hands. He sighed and sat down beside him. "Yami! Listen to me!"

Finally, Yami spoke, his eyes still on the screen. "Yes Aibou, is there something you need?"

Yugi nuzzled his shoulder. "Will you put down the game for five seconds? I heard a really good joke that I want to tell you."

Yami paused the game and set it down with a slightly self-pitying sigh. "I wouldn't interrupt _you_ gaming to tell you a joke," he said as he turned. "What is it–"

Yugi leaned in and captured his lips, reaching out with one hand to hold Yami's face still as he savored the kiss.

"What kind of joke is that?" Yami asked when he pulled away, his eyes sparkling despite the disapproving tone in his voice.

"Well, I wanted your attention and I got it, so I'd say it's a practical one," Yugi replied cheekily, making Yami laugh.

"Is this your way of telling me you're feeling neglected?"

"No, I just wanted a kiss. Go back to your game." Yugi started to stand up, but Yami grabbed his hand and pulled him back down into his arms.

"Oh no, you went and got my attention now," he growled. "You distract me from a game, you deal with the consequences."

"And the consequences are that I have to pay you off in hugs and kisses?"

"Exactly."

Yugi leaned into his chest and smiled. "I can live with that."

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** My gods these two are adorable. xD Happy Independence Day, fellow Americans! FOR JUSTICE! /o/


	55. Static electricity: Humor&Gen, PG, AU

**Theme:** 055 - Static electricity; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Humor/general  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairings:** YamixYugi  
**Warnings:** AU, possible OOC-ness  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Yami felt like a fool, but at least _someone_ was having fun.

* * *

**Electrostatic generator:** n. Any of various devices […] that generate or store high voltages by accumulating static electric charge. – _The American Heritage Science Dictionary_

_

* * *

_

"The Van de Graaff is one of the most well-known electrostatic generators and is safe to touch," the professor said, concluding his lecture. "It produces high voltage, but at a very low level of current. The charge will only cause small sparks, not enough to injure anybody. If I could have someone come demonstrate, you can see the effects of it on a human…any volunteers?"

Nobody moved.

"No? Okay fine, I'll choose someone. Atemu-san, why don't you be the guinea pig?" The science professor motioned him to the front of the class. With a resentful sigh, Yami stood and walked up to the large contraption their teacher had brought in, stepping onto a mat used for grounding.

"Now if you'll just put your hands on the top of the generator," his teacher instructed.

Yami winced slightly at the first jolt as he placed his hands on the metal sphere on top, then stood still and waited. He had suspicions of why he'd been chosen for the demonstration and, as he saw his classmates whisper to each other and then start trying to hide giggles, his worst fears were confirmed. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Yugi, although he could hear very familiar laughter being stifled on the left.

He finally allowed himself a peek at his reflection in the door window and felt his cheeks flush. All of his hair, already unnaturally fluffy, was standing on end. When he moved his head, each of the charged strands swirled around him in perfect coordination, as if orbiting his head. It caused another outburst of laughter.

Finally the teacher took pity on him and invited the rest of the class to come up to the Van de Graaff. Their attention was taken from Yami as they amused themselves either shocking their fingers or placing their hands on the dome to make their own hair stand on end.

Yugi, concealing a grin, sidled up beside Yami. "Not a bad look for you," he said, referring to his hair.

Yami scowled. "Oh yes, I suppose it'll catch on at all the rave clubs."

Yugi giggled, (the sound somewhat abating Yami's irritability), and his hand brushed close to Yami's arm. A sudden spark jumped between them. Yugi leapt backwards in surprise, quickly muffling his startled yelp, but it was too late. Everyone had realized they could use Yami to create arcing and before Yami knew it people were poking at him and then jumping back laughing, shaking their hands at the spark. He twitched at the static jolts, growling under his breath, and reached out and jabbed back at a few of his classmates in retaliation, but everyone was having far too much fun to care.

That's when he felt a sudden jolt on the seat of his pants and jumped in surprise, but not before hearing a mischievous laugh and seeing Yugi backpedal quickly away.

Yami sighed, cheeks flushing red again. Well, at least _someone_ was having fun.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Inspired by Adam's quote, "Stop sparking my ass!" from Mythbusters when they were playing with the giant Van de Graaff. xD

I've been on a fluff kick in the challenge lately...ah well, it's fun. Happy birthday Riyu!


	56. Castles in the sky: Gen&Fluff, G, AU

**Theme:** 056 - Castles in the sky; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/fluff  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** 'Atemu'xYugi implied  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Whatever Yugi's dreams, Atemu would always believe in them.

* * *

_Do you ever question your life?__  
__Do you ever wonder why?__  
__Do you ever see in your dreams…__  
__all the castles in the sky?_  
-Ian Van Dahl

"Well that was certainly…an interesting movie," Atemu said tentatively as they left the theatre.

Yugi nodded. "It was different."

"Creative," Jounouchi offered.

"Very," Yugi said.

After a long pause, Atemu glanced at his friends. "…It was bad."

"It was _worse_ than bad!" Jounouchi exploded. "Why didn't someone put the breaks on the filming when they realized how stupid it was?"

"Maybe the actors were paid extra?"

"They better have been!"

"Makes me wonder why we didn't just walk out," Atemu said.

"Because, it was like a train wreck. You wanted to stop watching, but you couldn't." Jounouchi replied, stretching. "Anyway, thanks for inviting me to the movies guys, but I promised Shizuka I'd visit her today, so I've got to get going."

"Alright Jounouchi…sorry about dragging you to that mess."

"Hey, it was funny in its terribleness. See you guys later!" He waved and jogged away.

Yugi looked over at Atemu. "So what should we do now? Besides continue badmouthing the movie."

"I don't know, I'm free for the rest of the day…we could get snacks and go stand outside the theatre and warn people not to see it."

"Hmn…" Yugi considered it, then glanced at his watch, and his face fell. "Oh no…I'm sorry Atemu, we'll only have time for a snack. I've got to be home in a half hour."

"Oh." He looked disappointed.

"My father is home, he and grandpa have decided it's time to educate me in the art of business, so that I'll be prepared to take over the Game Shop after I graduate. So for the rest of the day it's going to be spreadsheets, taxes and liability laws." He raised his arms in mock excitement.

Atemu noted his less-than-pleased expression. "Not looking forward to it?"

"Not really." He sighed.

"But you like games. I thought you wanted to take over the Game Shop when your grandfather retired."

"When I was little I wanted to, and my family encouraged it…then I outgrew that desire, but they haven't realized that. And I don't know…maybe it's not such a bad thing, overall. We already own the building, business is good…it'd be a stable future."

Tilting his head, Atemu inquired, "Well, what would you like to do?"

Yugi's cheeks flushed. "That's not important."

"No, really. If business isn't for you, then what are you interested in doing for a career?"

"It's nothing, just something stupid."

"Come on, you can tell me," Atemu wheedled.

"Okay, well…" He blushed dark red, studying his feet. "I'd…I'd like to be a writer."

"A writer?"

"Yeah, I know, it's stupid–"

"No it's not!" Atemu looked down at him with interest. "What sort of writing do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure. I'd like to write things that make people think, you know? I want to challenge the things that I don't agree with in the world, but do it in an interesting story that can be entertaining too. I don't think I have what it takes for journalism, so I was thinking maybe fiction...short stories, novels." He looked up towards the sky. "I don't know…I'd like to leave behind something on this Earth to prove I lived. Just to prove that my life had a purpose."

"I think that sounds great."

"You do?"

"Definitely! If it's your dream, you should go for it."

Yugi smiled sadly. "If only my family thought that way. I only ever mentioned it once. Grandpa almost had a heart attack, Mom told me to stop joking around, and Father gave me a long lecture about the million different ways I'll ruin my life by doing something so wishy-washy."

Atemu frowned, but as he did, Yugi said, "Maybe they're right though, Atemu. Writing isn't easy. I couldn't make a living off it."

"So? Who are they to say your dreams aren't worth it? You deserve the right to reach for it. Own a game shop _and_ write if you want. Or do something else, don't let them tell you how to live."

Yugi's smile gained a little strength. "You really think I could make it?"

Atemu smiled back, and allowed his hand to rest softly on Yugi's shoulder for a moment. "I think you can do anything you set your heart to."

"Thanks Atemu."

And he was too busy hiding his own blush to notice the crimson across Yugi's nose had deepened even more.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Honestly I'm not that happy with this one, but I had to write something. xD And there is something sort of cute about self-help!Atemu. *shot*


	57. Storm: Gen&Fluff, G

**Theme:** 057 - Storm; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/fluff  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Yami no YugixYugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** It was the first good rainstorm of the season, but _someone_ wasn't too thrilled.

* * *

As Yugi closed his textbook with the weary sigh of a student who had just finished far too much homework, he heard a rumble off in the distance. Shoving his books in his backpack, he stood up, stretched, and glanced at the skylight.  
_  
__Yes, we haven't had a good thunderstorm for awhile_, Yugi thought as he peered at the sky, where the stars were vanishing behind black clouds glowing with lightning. His relief at finishing his work grew into happiness at the prospect of a rainstorm to fall asleep to.

A louder clap of thunder filled his ears, and he felt a strange swoop in the pit of his stomach. Frowning, he glanced down at his abdomen. That was strange, for a moment he'd felt…_scared_.

Yugi couldn't remember a time when he'd been afraid of storms; he loved the rain and the fresh, cool feeling it gave the world when it had gone. He always slept well on stormy nights, and puzzled his family every year with his cheerful anticipation of the rainy season. So why would he feel afraid?

Shrugging the odd feeling away, he decided to go to bed. As he reached for the cord around his neck that held the Millennium Puzzle, rain began beating down upon the window. Lightning illuminated the room for a moment, and the loudest crack of thunder yet boomed over the city. Yugi had the Puzzle half-off when he felt that nervous jolt again, even heavier this time.

And that's when he realized what it was. It wasn't himself who was having these scared emotions, it was his _other_ self.

_Mou hitori no boku…is afraid of storms?_

Yugi let go of the cord, letting the Puzzle fall back upon his chest as he thought about it. This _was _the first big storm since he'd solved the Puzzle. His Puzzle was from ancient Egypt, and he recalled reading that Egypt rarely got thunderstorms. Ever since he'd realized there was another person inside him, born of the Puzzle, he'd wondered if the spirit was also from ancient Egypt. A thunderstorm, to someone who had never experienced one before, probably would be sort of scary.

He glanced around the room. So this meant his other self must be aware of things going on in the outside world. He must have known somehow, that would explain why the fear had grown into near-panic when Yugi had been about to take the Puzzle off. Apparently the spirit objected to spending the night alone.

Yugi felt a sudden rush of affection for the strange soul inside the Puzzle. His other self could stare down an armed convict with no fear at all, yet was bothered enough by a storm to admit it to Yugi. Strange as it was, he found it sort of cute.

"It's all right, mou hitori no boku," he said aloud. "I'll leave the Puzzle on."

Switching off the lights he climbed into bed and curled under the covers, the Puzzle shielded protectively by his arms as the rain grew louder on the roof.

"G'night mou hitori no boku," he murmured sleepily.

He felt a wave of warmth, another emotion that wasn't his own, and smiled to himself.

"You're welcome."

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Needy!Yami makes me feel kind of warm and fuzzy. x3 I'm really pleased with this theme.

I hope everyone had a good Labor Day. I had to work anyway. ^^; Apparently book selling waits for no one.


	58. Last dance: Gen&Serious, G, AU

**Theme:** 058 - Last dance; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/serious  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Past YamixYugi implied  
**Warnings:** AU, drabble  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Some dance to forget...

* * *

_Some dance to remember._

A few people picked him out, alone amidst the swaying bodies on the dance floor, and asked if he wanted to share a song.

_Not tonight_, was all he said.

No, not tonight.

Oh, maybe someday he'd be ready for that again; the thump of a pop beat, the warmth of a partner, the entwining of hands.

But tonight was a different kind of dance. Tonight was about sad songs and tears on his cheeks and a room that might as well be empty.

Tonight he danced for himself and with a memory; the music was theirs and theirs alone.

_Some dance to forget._

X - X - X_  
_

_

* * *

_

**Notes:** Lyrics from _Hotel California_ (The Eagles.) Whether Yami or Yugi is the MC is up to the reader. Drabbles are good for me to practice...I can get awfully wordy if left unchecked.


	59. Umbrella: Serious, PG13, AU

**Theme:** 059 - Umbrella; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Serious  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Pairings:** Implied future Yami/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU, prostitution  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Here was someone who was being nice to him...and Yami repaid him by making him headline news.  
**Disclaimer: **I'm a broke-ass college student, Yugioh will never be mine. xD  
**Note:** Sequel to theme 038 - Wishing fountain.

* * *

Yami was standing at the street corner, waiting on the light to change, when something hit him in the head. Jumping, he turned to his side and saw a man, short, slender, and well-dressed, yanking an umbrella away from him. Between the rain and busy sounds of the road, Yami had never heard him approach.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the stranger said, struggling to keep the wind from catch the umbrella again, a large one that seemed almost comically huge considering the petite person holding it. "I didn't mean to hit you, the wind just caught it..."

"It's okay," Yami said, not sure how else to respond. After a moment, he went back to staring at the light, acutely aware that the stranger was still standing beside him and even more aware that, either by accident or design, the stranger was now holding the umbrella in a way that shielded both of them from the rain. Yami didn't know what to do. Surely it was impolite to tell someone to stop holding their umbrella over you...

Feeling too uncomfortable to stand in silence, he lowered the hood of his raincoat and decided to make conversation.

"So, are you from around here?" he asked.

"No, I'm from up north. I've got a business meeting here, but sneaked out to do a little sight seeing."

"Not a very good day for it."

"No," the man admitted, "not really. But it's the only day left, I leave this evening. Hey, do you live here?"

"Yeah."

"Great! Could you tell me how to get to the historic wishing fountain? I was told it was in the park, but I haven't been able to locate that, either."

Yami's thoughts raced. _He_ was heading over to the fountain right now, and he'd been counting on using the walk to relax and block off the pesky parts of his mind that still took issue with his choice of career. He _needed_ that alone time to switch personalities. Part of him was tempted to send the stranger off a completely wrong direction. But another part of him prodded at him to be polite.

"Well…I'm actually going there right now," he said.

"You are? Perfect! We can walk together."

"Sure…okay."

The light finally changed and they both stepped forward, and Yami silently put his hood back up, strode ahead and led the way, praying the rain would have driven away anybody who might recognize him. He kept his arms tightly folded, holding his raincoat shut, lest a rogue gust of wind blow it open and reveal his work outfit. Tight, chrome-studded leather was not something he wished to explain to an innocent tourist.

To his dismay, as they approached the fountain, he spotted Kyoko standing under a tree, trying to hold her cigarette out of the rain. He slouched, tucking his face down below the top of his collar, walking faster and hoping in vain not to be recognized.

"Yami!" Kyoko waved and stepped forward. Yami sighed, lifted his head, and waved back.

"Hi Kyoko."

His dull tone didn't discourage her. "I know, shitty day, isn't it? Not going to get much business in this weather." She exhaled, blowing smoke over her shoulder, and then spotted the young man following him. "Ah…I suppose I should only speak for myself."

"Huh?" Yami noticed that the spiky-haired stranger had caught up with him and lowered his voice. "Oh, no, I'm just showing him the way to the wishing fountain. He's a tourist."

She eyed the man with approval. "Tourists still have money, Yami. And he's cuter than your usual customers. Cuter than mine, too, if you're saying no."

Yami scowled at her and hissed, "Kyoko, please. He's not here for that."

"Hey, I'm just saying." She held her hands up. "So, going to introduce us?"

"I um…don't know his name."

"I'm Yugi," the young man said, stepping in, giving her non-weather-appropriate outfit something more than a passing glance. All the same, he kept his eyes focused above her shoulders as he said, "Yugi Mutou. It's nice to meet you."

"Mutou?" Her eyes widened. "Related to the business titan Kazuki Mutou?"

"Yes, my father." His cheeks flushed.

"So you own the business now, don't you? I read in the paper that he stepped down."

"Yes, you heard right," Yugi said in the tone of someone who had answered that question too many times.

"He owns the biggest company in the north," Kyoko said, staring pointedly at Yami.

Yami averted his eyes, praying she wouldn't volunteer her rather colorful term for exactly what that would qualify Yugi as in terms of customers. "Yeah, that's very exciting. The rain's put your cigarette out."

"Idiot," she muttered, shaking her head at him and returning her attention to Yugi. "Well Yugi, nice to meet you." She stepped back into the safety of the trees with a wave.

"Come on, the fountain's just down this path," Yami said, turning away before Yugi could catch his eyes.

"That girl, Kyoko?" Yugi said, jogging to catch up.

"What about her?"

"Is she a friend of yours?"

"Acquaintance." Yugi's silence seemed to indicate that his answer wasn't adequate, so he babbled on, "We um…graduated together, still talk now and then. She's…you know– Hey, look, the fountain." He pointed, relieved to put an end to the conversation.

Yugi smiled. "It's gorgeous."

"It is pretty," Yami agreed as they stepped up to the edge of it.

"Supposedly it grants wishes, huh?"

"The myth goes that hundreds of years ago the town was plagued with a terrible disease," Yami said. "This used to be the center of town, and one night everyone gathered here to beg the Gods for a cure. Supposedly, the next day the sickness was gone. Ever since, this part of the town was considered lucky. As the city grew up and took over, they put up the fountain to lure tourists to come and make wishes."

"You know a lot about it."

"Well, I spend a lot of time around here. Maybe I should give tours." Yami reached into his pocket, pulling out two coins. He held one out to Yugi. "Here, make a wish."

"No, it's okay, I have my own coins," Yugi said.

"Go on, take it. Maybe it'll be good luck."

"Why would it be good luck? Did your wishes here come true?"

"No. But maybe that's because I've been using my own coins. Maybe the trick is to use someone else's. Just go ahead, you're a guest in my town."

"Okay." Yugi accepted the coin, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He fished through its change pouch and held out a coin back.

"What's this for?" Yami asked. "I have my own coin."

"You said yours weren't working, maybe the secret was to share coins. So here. Make your wish come true, too."

Yami studied him for a moment, then smiled and held out his hand. "Okay. Thanks."

"No problem." Yugi smiled back, then closed his eyes, took a breath, and tossed his coin in. Yami followed suit. They stood quietly by the edge, watching the ripples.

"So your name is Yami?" Yugi finally asked, looking up.

"Yeah."

"Well, thanks for showing me the way here, Yami."

"It was no trouble." He paused, about to ask if Yugi would be returning to their city anytime soon, when he spotted something several meters away in the bushes. Something shiny was pointed toward them, something round and reflective, like a lens of some sort…the moment Yami looked closer, the bushes rustled, the lens vanished, and he heard the sound of footsteps running away on the other side.

"Yami? What are you looking at?" Yugi turned around.

"There's…I think there was someone in that bush taking pictures of us."

Oddly, Yugi just shrugged. "The press. They've been trying to get something on me ever since I took the company over. I suppose they'll be disappointed that me taking some time off my trip to see a fountain isn't newsworthy." He smiled, but when he looked up the smile faded. "Yami? What's wrong, you look sick…"

"I need to go," he said, stepped backwards. "You shouldn't be here with me."

"What?"

"I have to go, I'm sorry." He turned away, only to feel Yugi's fingers close on his wrist and pull him back.

"Yami, what's going on? Are you all right?"

"Get away from me!" he snapped, yanking free and running, leaving Yugi standing there looking confused and slightly hurt. And as Yami ran he knew it was too late…the damage had already been done. Who knew how long that photographer had been following them? It would be easy to find someone to identify him, and the press would have all the information they needed.

Yugi would understand tomorrow, anyway. When he picked up the paper to see his name in the headlines. When he read the article to discover he had been seen fraternizing with a male prostitute on his most recent business trip, and saw the color photo of them standing beside the fountain, Yugi with his wallet in hand, smiling at each other. When he discovered Yami's true identity and learned that Yami was responsible for ruining his comfortable existence.

_Yes_, Yami knew, plagued with cold guilt as he ran. Yugi would understand then.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Lulz, Kazuki. xD I never know what else to name AU-Yugi's dad. You might've noticed I took the same easy route out in Just Don't Look Back.

I was going to give theme 038 a happy sequel, but decided to go for angst instead. There's a sequel to this theme though, so, y'know, maybe there's hope. xD

Tomorrow's my eight-year Yugioh anniversary. ^^ Posting today in honor of Lynn Flewelling's birthday and Remembrance/Spirit Day.


	60. Smile: Angst, G, AU

**Theme:** 060 - Smile; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Angst  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Yami/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** With every smile it only hurt more, but he still couldn't let go.

Yami could still remember Yugi's exact words from that last day.

_It isn't that I don't care about you_, he had said, in tears. _I do, I really do. It's just more like as a friend or family. You understand, right?_

No, Yami didn't understand. Try as he might, he could see Yugi as nothing less than his soulmate, and had said as much over the course of their relationship. For months Yugi had responded that he felt the same way. He, too, felt as if they were meant to be together. And now...

How could someone change their mind about something like that? Yami wanted to ask, but didn't. So he said he understood.

Yugi had even asked him if it would be too awkward to continue being friends. He'd offered to end all their contact, to take himself out of Yami's life, if it would make Yami happier. Like the fool he was, Yami had said no. Desperate to hang on to whatever small consolation he could, he'd begged Yugi not to end their friendship too. Too stupid, too weak to realize that losing Yugi all at once couldn't possibly hurt as much as losing him little by little could.

Now when he saw Yugi he would smile, because he knew it would make Yugi smile. And sure enough, Yugi would smile back at him.

And the knife was driven a little deeper into his heart.

X - X - X

**Notes: **Because I just had to take a nice theme like 'Smile' and turn it into something mopey. Yep. ^^;;;

The next theme will be happy, I promise! So happy that you'll all die of a fluff overload!


	61. Blizzard: Fluff&Romance, PG, AU

**Theme:** 061 - Blizzard; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Fluff/romance  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairings:** 'Atemu'/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** It had been entirely worth the wait.

* * *

The rest of the city cursed the blizzard, but not Yugi.

Week after week he'd waited for the perfect day. Between he and Atemu's busy schedules, it seemed every day they had off work had to be spent running errands, raking the yard, buying groceries…and call him an old romantic if you would, but Yugi felt like the afterglow, of just that one first time if any, shouldn't be marred by worrying about chores.

So when he'd heard last night about the blizzard bearing down on the city, he knew it was the moment they'd both been waiting on.

He stretched a bit under the heavy comforter. Atemu's arm was draped across his midriff, Atemu himself still asleep, breathing softly against the back of Yugi's neck.

Outside, the city was at a stand-still. He could hear the wind buffeting the windows, nothing but a blur of white outside the glass. There was no obligation to get up, no responsibility to be concerned with. They could lie in bed all day if they wanted, and Yugi had no intent of hastening their departure of the warm blankets.

Nestling and fitting himself more smoothly into the curve of his lover's body, Yugi took Atemu's hand and held it to his chest, entwining those long fingers with his own. Against his back, he felt Atemu shift and nuzzle closer to his shoulder.

He closed his eyes and smiled. It had been entirely worth the wait.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes: **Yeah. For all my insisting that I would do something creative with this theme, I fell back on romance anyway. ^^;

I meant to post this two days ago for the start of Hanukkah. I'm sorry to my Jewish pals! I hope you don't mind a bit of late fluff.


	62. Spontaneity: Romance&Serious, PG13, AU

**Theme:** 062 - Spontaneity; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Romance/serious  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Pairings:** Yami/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** An unknown future was scary, but a future without _him_ even more so, and if he didn't take the chance he'd always wonder what he'd lost by not going.

* * *

An insistent knocking at his window roused Yugi from his sleep. He looked up, blinking.

"What…what the…?"

Yami smiled and waved through the glass. Confused beyond belief, Yugi stumbled to the window and opened it, hissing, "how did you get on the roof?"

"The tree." He pointed over his shoulder and then reached for Yugi's hand. "Come on."

"Come on where? I'm in my pajamas!"

"Then get changed and come on."

"My family will wonder where I am."

"We won't be gone that long. I just need to discuss something with you. It's about last night."

Yugi glanced at the clock. 5:00. As much as he wanted to know what had happened, he asked, "Can't it wait till daylight?"

"No, we need to talk now." His eyes seemed to glow with intensity. "Come on, please?"

"All right, fine, let me change."

Ten minutes later, they dropped to the ground and Yami led him to his car, parked around the corner. Yugi stopped, staring at it. "Yami…your car…what is all that?"

"All my worldly possessions." He unlocked the passenger door. "Get in, it's illegal to be parked here. I'll find a better place and we can talk."

Yugi, buckling his seat belt, peered over his shoulder. "You can barely see out the back window."

"It was dark when I was packing, I'll try to organize it later."

A worrisome suspicion prodded at Yugi, but he pushed it away, hoping he was wrong. "Why do you have all your stuff in your car?"

Yami didn't answer, his eyes on the road. A few moments later he pulled into an empty parking lot. "Okay, I think this is a good place." He got out and stretched.

"Yami, _what_ is going on?" Yugi demanded, getting out of the car and eyeing him over the roof.

Sighing, Yami walked over to his side, leaned against the back door, and looked over at him. "I'm leaving town."

Yugi stared. "Why?"

"My parents got over their shocked silence at seeing us kissing last night."

Yugi lowered his eyes. "They were angry?"

"Very."

"But…just because they were angry, that doesn't mean you need to leave town over it. They're going to be really worried about you if you just up and run away like this!"

Yami shook his head. "They know I'm leaving. They told me if I intended to live this way I had no place in their life. And when I said I was leaving, they said fine, and that I shouldn't come back because as soon as I walked out the door I would be dead to them."

Yugi assumed he was exaggerating. "They didn't say that."

"You're right, they didn't. It was much less succinct and there were a great deal more expletives involved."

"They…really disowned you?" Yugi asked quietly, realizing he was serious. "All because of us?"

"No. I think 'us' they _might _have gotten over. But I lost my temper and said some things they wouldn't forgive."

"Oh…" Yugi grimaced.

"Wife, kids, college diploma on the wall, corporate job, big expensive house with two cars in the driveway…all gone. They finally realized all their son wants in life is to be happy and be with his boyfriend."

"That's not a bad wish."

"You're right, it's not. But they think it is, and when I informed them I would never want or have the life they planned for me, they said to get out."

"But…you're their son." He looked up at him, surprised at how Yami was saying these things so coolly. He expected to see hurt or anger in his face, but there was just steadiness there. "How can they just disown you? I understand they're angry that you don't want to follow their plan, but…this is present-day, not two hundred years ago! Doesn't the fact that you're family matter at all to them?"

He sighed, and Yugi saw then a glimpse of the weariness he'd been hiding. "It's hard to explain. Look, what did that kiss say to you?"

"It said you loved me."

"Exactly. I love you. Which is all it should mean. Just one person telling another that they care for them, nobody else should be involved. But to my family, it was a personal message that said: 'I don't give a damn about you.' I disappointed them. They're the proudest people in the world and I told them I didn't need them. They would rather have a dead son than one out of their control."

Yugi felt terrible. "Yami…I'm so sorry. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't come over last night."

"No." Yami's voice rose, startling him. "This is not your fault, Yugi. It would have happened eventually. It's probably best that it happened now." He waved one hand. "Anyway, who cares? As of today, that life is over. No more hiding, no more sneaking, no more pretending like I care about their damned plans. I've got my stuff, I've emptied out my bank account, I've got a high school diploma…I think that's enough to find a way to make a life. And even if I fail miserably, at least I failed following my own path. Either way works for me."

"You're really…set on doing this, aren't you?"

"I am. I know it's so out-of-the-blue, but it feels right."

"But…if you go…" He bit his lip. "What about me?"

Yami's cheeriness seemed to wane. "Well, that's the thing. I wanted to ask you…if you wanted to come with me."

Yugi stared. "Wh…what?"

"Do you want to come with me? I saved room in the back seats for your belongings."

"I…" Yugi's jaw hung loosely. "Run away? With you? Right now?"

"Yes."

Yugi was silent for a long time, just staring at him. He'd barely begun to accept everything Yami told him, and now this? The very idea of Yami taking off was crazy, imagining doing it himself was laughable, but Yami wasn't laughing. Instead he was watching Yugi intently. And Yugi blurted out the first words that came to mind:

"Yami, I…I can't do something like that…"

He smiled quietly, lowering his eyes. "Yeah…it's okay. I expected that answer."

"It's not that I don't want to go, it's just…there are things…responsibilities and such…"

"I told you, it's okay." His voice was gentle. "I know you've got things here that are worth staying for. I only wanted to ask."

"Why don't you stay with me?" Yugi asked desperately. "My family likes you, they support us…you can come stay at my house."

Yami shook his head. "I can't be in this town right now."

"Then when are you coming back? You are coming back, aren't you?"

"I don't know."

"Yami…"

He scuffed at the pavement, then looked back up, steel in his eyes. "I'm not going to ask you to wait for me."

His eyes stung. "Stop it, stop talking like we're breaking up."

"Asking you to wait for me for some unknown amount of time is cruel. I think…it's better if we–"

"No!" Yugi said louder, his voice echoing around the empty lot. "Don't say that. It's just as cruel for you to up and decide that we're over without even asking me!"

Yami's jaw tightened for a moment, then he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Yugi. "I'm sorry."

Yugi leaned into him, numb with the shock of what was happening. Just yesterday they'd been happy and together. Now Yami was leaving town and he _couldn't _go with him.

He couldn't. It was too crazy, he didn't do crazy things. He just _didn't_.

"I'll miss you," he said.

"I'll miss you even more." Yami buried his face in his hair. "I promise, I'll call you any chance I get. And I'll send you letters at least every few days, and if I'm someplace with free internet, I'll e-mail you."

"But it won't be the same." He swallowed.

Yami embraced him even more tightly. "Yugi…please understand. Please don't be angry."

"I understand, I'm not angry. I just wish…" He left it hanging. Yami nodded.

"Yeah…I wish, too."

Yugi looked up at him, tilted his neck, and pressed his lips against Yami's in a kiss that sent shivers all the way to Yami's toes. He looked up into his eyes, pressing his body close enough to feel Yami's heart against his own. "I love you."

God, those words. He remembered the first time he'd said them; the first time Yami had said them to him. That day, he'd known what he felt for Yami was something deeper than the a silly crush. It had thrilled and excited and damn near terrified him, realizing how deep his love for him ran. Hearing Yami tell him that for the first time, he'd really felt like he'd follow him anywhere.

And now here they were...

_It's crazy_, he thought. _It's insane! I already have a future planned. I can't just change the plan._

But Yami was. Yugi knew that under Yami's confidence _had _to be uncertainty, but he wasn't letting that stop him. He'd take on the world alone if he had to. It was something Yugi always liked about him. He made the impossible seem not so far out of reach.

"Yugi…" Yami bent his head, resting against his shoulder. "I should…probably get you back home. Before good-bye gets any more difficult."

"No," Yugi said.

"What?"

"I changed my mind, I'm going with you."

"What?" He pulled away, staring. "You…but I thought…"

The numbness had been placed with some sort of wild exhilaration as Yugi said, "You asked if I wanted to come with you. I'm assuming the offer is still open."

"But I thought you wanted to stay here. What about…your plans?"

"I do like it here…and I like my future I'd have here. But here you are, about to go out into the world on an adventure and to just jump into the unknown, and if I stay here…I'll just spend my time wondering what chances I lost by not jumping with you."

"What about your family?" Yami asked.

"I'll tell my parents it's just a summer trip. And hey, maybe it is. We don't have any plans, so who knows what'll happen?"

"But…at the end of the summer, what if…?"

"No plans, remember?" Yugi reached for his hands. "We'll deal with that at the end of the summer."

Yami allowed him to take his hands and grinned at him. "You really mean it…you want to come with me?"

"I mean it." Yugi grinned back at him, then started to pull away. "So, we need to get back to the house so I can pack–"

Yami hung on. "Wait, one more kiss first? Just to make sure you won't change your mind on the way there?"

Yugi laughed, shaking his head, but leaned in anyway. "Okay…just to make sure."

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** I am not pleased with this theme. It feels flat and listless. The writing is limp. The plot is contrived. This makes me sad because normally I love the running-away trope. And I was supposed to post this four days ago, but forgot to because my desk calendar on which I schedule these is covered in three-month old bank statements I still haven't filed. ^^; Ehh...chalk this theme up to a bout of writer's block and look forward to theme 063, which is much better written!


	63. Serendipity: General&Introspective, G

**Theme:** 063 - Serendipity; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/introspective  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Yami no Yugi/Yugi  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** Battle City...if anyone from that even counts as a spoiler anymore.  
**Summary:** Maybe they had to be incomplete to help each other change.

* * *

Brightly colored cards were scattered in loose piles across the small table top. A belt with a rectangular pouch on the back lay coiled beside them. The young man at the desk, however, was engrossed with the sky outside the window.

A flash of color across the table and the sudden materialization of another person made him snap back to the present. "Hi mou hitori no boku."

The spirit looked down at the cards on the table. "Fixing your deck?"

Yugi shrugged. "Just trying to make it as good as it can be for tonight. I can't think of anything to change though. It might have helped if we'd had time to stop by the house and get my other cards, but I didn't think of it."

"And looking out the window helps you think?"

Yugi smiled sheepishly. "No. I just can't concentrate, so much has happened today. Especially this evening." His smile faded as he glanced at the table. The Red Eyes Black Dragon sat off to one side. The spirit followed his gaze.

"I'm sorry, by the way," Yugi said, startling his other self.

"What? Why?"

"I may have been a bit harsh this evening, during that duel. Saying that I had to do it myself when I know you wanted to help. You were scared for Jounouchi too and you were helpless and knew I was in danger. I'm sorry if that hurt you, standing aside."

"You did nothing wrong," he replied quietly. "You were right, only you could have made the difference in that place."

"Yeah," Yugi said thoughtfully, moving some of the cards around absentmindedly. "And I am glad…to know I handled it without you." He looked up to see the spirit's haunting eyes watching him. "I was afraid that cowardice was still in me. I'm glad to know I can stand on my own. Thank you for giving me that chance."

"Of course." His other self watched him sort out the cards for a moment, then: "Aibou?"

"Hmn?"

"Is it truly so terrible for you...accepting my help?"

"What? No, I'm not saying that!" Yugi waved his hands frantically, shaking his head. "I don't mean that it's terrible that you help me. Mou hitori no boku, I'm glad I met you and so glad for your help. I just mean…that I don't like to think I'm only who I am because of you. I kind of like to believe that if I hadn't met you I would still be someone brave enough to face what I did today for the sake of my friend. I know deep down without you I wouldn't have been able to, but it's nice to think–"

"No," the spirit interrupted.

"What?"

"_No_," he repeated. "You really believe you only saved Jounouchi today because of me? Aibou, it's because of me that he was in trouble to begin with."

"That's not what I meant," Yugi sighed. He hadn't really wanted to say this straight out; it was shameful. "I meant…I know I'm strong now. But the old Yugi, before I met you, would have been too afraid. I would have just run away, or given in to anything that scared me. I'd probably still be that way now, but because of you I learned to face my fears because I knew you would help me. You're tough enough to face everything for me, but I don't want it to be that way forever." He looked away from the spirit. Their mind link was closed, but he didn't want to risk his often ultra-perceptive other self to glimpse his thoughts in his eyes. _It can't be that way forever. One day you have to leave. I have to be able to stand on my own before that day._

"You think you're only strong now…because of me?"

The fact that he sounded so puzzled came as a surprise. Just a few hours before Yugi had flat out told him that his courage was entirely attributed to him. Yugi furrowed his eyebrows at him. "Why does that surprise you? Isn't it obvious? I know you didn't really know me well back in the old days, but you've heard us talk about it. You know what I was like, naïve and passive. I couldn't have changed and done what I did today without you." His cheeks flushed. "This is incredibly humiliating to talk about, by the way. The old days are not my proudest moments."

The spirit regarded him quietly. "You didn't change. This you and the 'old you' are the same person."

"Thank you, that's kind, but–"

"_You_ changed _me_," he pressed. "So in the end, if you did change, it's because of yourself."

"I don't see what one has to do with the other," Yugi said, unsettled at the agitation in his voice. It was rare for the spirit to be so upset, much less this talkative. He'd been extremely quiet all evening. Even after the duel, when Yugi had piped in to celebrate that he had won, the spirit hadn't responded. Yugi assumed he was focused on the finals.

"When you solved the puzzle, I was different. I was ruled by reflex and I didn't understand things like morals or wrong and right. I just did what my reactions to things told me to do. There was no humanity there." He paused uncomfortably. "I am equally as ashamed of that person as you said you are of your past."

The idea of the spirit feeling the same secret humiliation was too much. Yugi had to interject. "Well, you'd been trapped for three thousand years. You had no memories of what was right or wrong."

"Not having memories is no excuse. That person is not someone who you admired."

Yugi couldn't deny that one. His other self had killed, had done worse than kill, and he'd smiled while doing it. It wasn't something he liked to think about, even now. Whenever he did, he ended up feeling queasy and anxious.

"You aren't that person anymore. The person you are now, strong and confident and loyal, that's who I look up to, that's who changed me," Yugi said.

"And the weak person who you consider a disgrace is the person who changed me," the spirit said flatly. "You think your innocence makes you naïve or childish, but it was that innocence which made me human."

"Mou hitori no boku…?"

"You were an anomaly to me," he said. "You had compassion for people who hurt you. You believed in the good in people who had done nothing good. You could trust someone implicitly. To me…I _still_ have trouble accepting that. You went against everything I based my existence on and showed me another life besides reacting blindly. You taught me what real wrong and right were. You showed me it takes more strength to be compassionate than to hate. You taught me morals. You say I, as I am now, helped you, but without you, the 'old you,' I wouldn't be me. It was you, from the beginning, who changed things. So don't say it was me who made the difference and don't throw aside that person who showed me kindness."

Yugi blinked as the spirit stared back at him. Was his other self correct? The helpless person he'd been was, to him, a personal flaw he was relieved to leave behind in favor of the toughness the spirit had taught him. That old Yugi had been lonely and pathetic and unable to do a thing. Now everything he'd been sure of had been turned upside down.

_If I had met him today, as I am now…would I have been able to help him?_

Another thought occurred almost instantly:_ If I'd met him back then, but he was the way he is now…maybe he wouldn't have been able to help me, either. Maybe we had to be incomplete to help each other change._

His thoughts were broken by the sound of his other self speaking slowly, hesitantly:

"Aibou…I–"

The intercom on the wall beside them squawked to life, interrupting his words.

"Duelists have fifteen minutes before assembly for round one. Fifteen minutes."

As the announcement died away, Yugi waited for the spirit to repeat what he was going to say, but the other side of the table brought only silence now.

Slowly, Yugi looked up. He met the spirit's eyes only for a moment, before standing and gathering up the cards.

"We need to get ready."

The spirit nodded, and vanished. All business, Yugi checked his deck one last time, fixed the belt, and gave himself and the spirit a last minute pep-talk through their mind link. He secured his duel disk on his arm and walked to the door, welcoming the distraction of his friends waiting outside.

But in those few seconds between the table and door, he couldn't help wondering what the spirit had been about to say.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** In case you're wondering where "serendipity" comes in, my thought process before writing this went as thus: "What a perfect working of fate, that Yami and Yugi each possess what the other needs. This is why Puzzleshipping works so well. It just goes to show that true love isn't in both people being perfect, but in the two being perfect together." And fate = serendipity…and truthfully there just weren't any other themes that this fit in. xD

Happy Christmas everyone! Sorry I had no holiday themed fic for the occasion. ^^;


	64. Green: Fluff, G, AU

**Theme:** 064 - Green; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Fluff  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Yami/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** And the whole town said that he should have used red...  
**Notes:** Based entirely on Joe Diffie's song _John Deere Green_. xD

* * *

The town was apparently stumped for gossip, because when the letters appeared, a meter tall, accompanied by a giant heart and painted in bright green across the side of the water tower, it was all anybody could talk about.

Nobody knew when the letters, spelling out "Yami loves Yugi," had appeared, but it must have been sometime in the middle of the night. And it wasn't the names which got people's tongues wagging; the relationship between Yami Atemu and Yugi Mutou had gone public a year ago. It had been a bit of a scandal for awhile, until everyone seemed to decide that they were something like a set and it just wasn't the same if they weren't together.

No, the big issue, aside from the questionable legality of using public property for a declaration of love, was the color.

"He should have used red!" Yugi's mother said when she first heard about it.

The chief of police, called down to have a look at the graffiti, just shook his head and asked the deputy, "Whoever heard of a love confession written in green?"

"What a silly color to use," people agreed on the street as they stopped to look up at the letters.

Yugi heard the news the moment his mother woke him up to tell him, but didn't see the words until later, when Yami invited him out for a picnic. Now, with his arm linked with Yami's and looking up at the words from the blanket on which they lay, he said, "You're lucky you didn't fall off that railing."

Yami shook his head. "Nonsense. Painters never fall off railings." He fiddled with some stray blades of grass with his free hand and asked, "Does the color bother you? Everyone in town is saying I should have used red."

Yugi laughed and nestled his head into the crook of Yami's neck. "It looks good to me."

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** FLUFFFFFF. xD Happy early birthday Kaoru! I probably wouldn't have had time to post this tomorrow with class starting, so you get it today. x3


	65. Paranoia: Drama&Serious, PG13, AU

**Theme:** 065 - Paranoia; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Drama/serious  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Pairings:** 'Atemu'/Yugi implied, past 'Atemu'/Jounouchi implied  
**Warnings:** AU, drug smuggling, violence, swearing  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** He knew the gun was loaded but he didn't think it'd kill...

* * *

The cell phone beside the couch rang. One eye still on an article in a gaming magazine, the young man beside it reached over and flipped it open.

"Hey."

"What's up Atemu?" greeted the caller, causing Atemu to set down the magazine and give the phone his full attention. Only a handful of people in the world knew him by his real name. Even fewer knew both his name and this number.

"Mac?"

"I'm touched, you remember me."

Atemu leaned back against the couch. "What's with the call?"

"I have a favor to ask."

The words, so innocuous, sent a chill down Atemu's spine. "What do you mean, a favor? You fired me, remember?"

"Technically no. You told me you wanted some time off."

"I must have been at a different meeting. I distinctly remember you telling me I needed to relax and get my head in order."

"A mutual parting of the ways, then," Mac said. "But not an official retirement."

"You called me unstable. I don't even know where the fuck you got that idea."

"You agreed that some time alone would do you good," Mac countered. Atemu muttered grudgingly. He couldn't deny that.

"You could've been a little nicer about it," he finally said. "So what's the favor?"

On the other end of the line he heard what sounded like the squeak of a leather chair being leaned back. "You nearly got busted," Mac said, and Atemu thought resignedly that it had been too much to hope that his old boss would let the fight go. "Everyone was talking about it. Someone of your caliber almost being taken down is a big story."

Atemu snorted. "I told you, the other guy was the problem, he got spooked by something and his partner started shooting."

"What'd he get spooked by?"

"I don't know."

Mac's voice went graver. "Some people were saying it was because you had a gun visible on you."

"What the hell did you want from me, Mac?" he asked in exasperation. "Your first rule was to always carry a weapon."

"Not a fucking _automatic_!" Anticipating argument, he kept speaking, raising his voice over Atemu's noises of protest. "If you have to carry, you keep it small and concealed. You don't go showing it off for the world to see."

"I couldn't hold the suitcase and keep my hand near a hidden gun at the same time. Look, you said you had a favor to ask?"

His poor attempt at a segue went unnoticed. "You shouldn't have even felt like you needed a gun. You'd done deals with that guy before, you know he's clean."

Atemu didn't want to answer that one. He'd elected not to answer it when Mac had grilled him about it months before, too. "So why'd he spook then," he said. "He ought to know I'm clean too. I still can't believe you'd let some junkie's flip-out get to you."

"You can't turn this on him, Atemu. People were getting scared of you. Contacts I'd known for years were suddenly refusing to do deals. I had to do something."

_That_ was something he hadn't mentioned at their last meeting. It made Atemu snort. "That's stupid. I'm not unstable."

The pause on the other end of the phone line wasn't encouraging.

"Mac? Don't tell me you told me to take a break because of some ridiculous rumors."

"I don't think you meant any harm," he answered slowly.

"But…?" Atemu said, sensing the pause.

"But I do think you were getting paranoid. And it's a slippery slope from there if you don't throw in the towel and retire. Everyone who has ever gone down started with paranoia. Then they began using from their own supply to deal with it. Then they'd get sloppy, or alienate their contacts, and from there it's jail if you're lucky and a bullet in the head if you're not. I didn't want that to happen to you."

"I wasn't going to start using," Atemu said roughly. "I'm not stupid."

"I don't think you're stupid. I think you're still hurt and that pain can cause people to make mistakes."

Atemu had heard enough. There were lines even long-time business partners and buddies didn't cross.

"Don't even start that with me, Mac. You're not my therapist. And if you want to ask me for a favor, pissing me off isn't the way to get it."

A gusty sigh whistled through the phone. "There's a new kid coming into your area to do a deal today. I want you to keep an eye on him and get him out if the deal goes bad."

Instantly, Atemu replied, "Mac, no. I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't. You know why."

"In the past you'dve been happy to help out a newbie."

"That was in the past," Atemu growled. "Let the newbie handle it on his own and leave me out of it. I don't work with people anymore. You agreed I didn't have to, way before the break you agreed."

Mac paused. "I didn't want to have to say this, but I think there's going to be trouble. It's with a gang who's caused problems before."

Something cold dropped into Atemu's stomach. There was only one gang in the area he could be talking about. "Mac, you didn't."

"I run a business, Atemu. They asked me for a product and they're willing to pay. I can't afford to burn that bridge."

"Why'd you put a newbie on a case like that?" Atemu demanded. "At least send someone experienced."

"He asked for it. Wouldn't take no for an answer and said he didn't want coddling." There was almost a note of fucking _pride_ in his voice, Atemu thought in near disgust. "I'd just feel better if there was someone looking out for him who knows how to handle the worst."

"I can't deal with people right now," Atemu said, letting some desperation slip in. "Are you listening to me? I _can't_."

"Atemu, you never officially retired. I'm still your boss."

"Fine, then I retire."

Atemu could hear him chomping on a pen, the way he always did when he had to hand down a harsh order. "It doesn't work that way. Look, we're buddies and I don't want to order you to do this. You know as well as I do that I can't force you to, but I can make you wish you had. I don't want to do that."

Atemu scowled, but said nothing.

"I'm just asking you for twenty hours, that's it, then it's back to hermitville for good. He's coming in on a private vessel this evening at eight."

Atemu glanced at the clock and sighed. It was nearing seven o'clock already. He should have guessed. "I'm assuming you already told him I'd meet him there."

"I may have said something to that effect. The deal's set to go down at four tomorrow at the normal rendezvous point for these guys. Twenty hours, tag along on one deal, it's not a lot to ask. One last run. Hand to God, you'll never get a call from me again after this."

Normal rendezvous point. That being the former ship yard. Atemu's jaw tightened.

_Of course it would be that place. Nothing like throwing salt on the wounds, huh Mac?_

He didn't want to do it. He _really_ didn't want to do it. And had it been any other gang, he would have said no. It wouldn't be worth the nightmares. But these people…

Nightmares would come anyway and he couldn't let this newbie walk into potential danger alone.

"Fine, I'll help. What's his alias?"

Mac's tone suddenly became affable again. "Funny you should ask, _Yami_. I think you'll find this amusing. It's Hikari."

"You kidding?"

"Not at all."

"Weird coincidence, then. Light and Dark working together."

"Now that you mention it," Mac said, "he doesn't have a partner yet."

Whatever minor amusement the name coincidence had brought vanished. "Eight o'clock, twenty hours, we do the deal, he goes home, I'm out. Good night, Mac," he said, closing the phone before he could get a reply and throwing it down at the couch.

_God damn it._

His hands were shaking. He folded them into fists against the cushions. Then he got up restlessly and began putting together what he'd need for his temporary housemate. He wasn't exactly equipped for visitors. After putting some extra blankets on the couch, he took stock of his groceries. He had enough for a couple meals for two. The kid down the road who he paid to do his grocery shopping for him wouldn't be by for another few days, but he'd just eat light until then.

Finally he pulled on a jacket and got his keys. The commercial docks were a bit of a drive. He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and removed a small pistol, looking at it for a moment.

He was just going to pick someone up. Nothing complicated or dangerous about that.

Then again, the night he'd lost Jou was supposed to have been a simple deal, too.

_I'm not paranoid_, he told the concerned vision of Mac in his head._ I'm not._

He put the gun back in the pocket, grabbed his wallet and headed out.

* * *

At 7:45 he parked his car and walked to join the crowd of friends and relatives watching a large passenger ship slowly make its way toward the docks. Mac had always liked to time arrivals with cruise ships, to make his mark just another face in the crowd. He'd hung up before Mac could tell him what this Hikari fellow looked like and was counting on the newbie to have been told who to look for. The crowd made him nervous and he stayed off to the side, staring at the ground, careful not to meet anyone's eyes. The mere festive atmosphere in the air was enough to make his stomach ache and his heart pound.

The ship docked, passengers disembarked, and Atemu lingered by the back of the crowd until it had thinned out, then stepped forward and pretended to study the ship as he allowed a quick glance around. Immediately he noticed a young man walking his way, dragging a rolling suitcase behind him.

Something was wrong…there was no way, this person couldn't be–

"Yami?" the stranger asked once he was within earshot. Atemu straightened at the sound of his code name and nodded, but he couldn't answer, too busy staring.

This boy looked like a teenager, and not a late teenager at that. Mac had never accepted anyone this young as a smuggler before. What was he thinking?

"Hikari?" he asked.

The young man nodded and before Atemu could turn, met his eyes. Purple, an unusual hue. And gentle. Atemu had to look away. Those weren't the kind of eyes that belonged on someone carrying a case of drugs, but Atemu had no doubts about what filled the large suitcase the young man called Hikari was dragging, nor that somewhere on his skinny frame the young man had his own gun.  
_  
__Mac, you asshole. Why would you accept someone like this into your business?_

He swallowed heavily.

_And why would you send him to me?_

"Make the trip okay?" he asked aloud.

Hikari gave him a slightly concerned look. "Pretty well."

"Good. The car's over here."

He remained silent for the rest of the ride, letting the radio fill up the silence. At his house, he held out his hand and said, "Let me have the suitcase. I have a safe it can be put in until tomorrow."

Hikari hesitated, then nodded and held it out.

"I'll make some dinner if you're hungry. For now, there's some blankets on the couch for you, let me know if you need more. Bathroom's down the hall to the right."

"Thanks," Hikari said, and smiled.

Feeling ill, Atemu took the suitcase and walked away. He closed the door to his bedroom and tried to ignore the nausea.

He'd just _had_ to smile.

He unlocked the safe and hoisted the suitcase up inside it. Better to keep the merchandise out of sight. Despite his defense of himself to Mac, there had been times when it had occurred to him that the only reason people would pay so much is if the drugs really helped. Made them forget their problems, maybe made them feel better.

And there were days when he thought it would be _really_ nice to feel better.

He scowled at his own mental weakness, locked the safe, and shut the closet doors for good measure before walking back out into the living room.

"Any preferences on what you want to eat?" he asked, coming in to see Hikari browsing the decorations around the room. Atemu kept the place fairly bare, aside from some paintings and a bookcase. He saw Hikari pick up a framed photo from the bookcase and darted forward. "Don't touch that!" he snapped and snatched it back, causing Hikari to jump.

"Sorry." Hikari's gaze was still on the photo, Atemu standing beside a taller blond man. "Who's that you're with?"

"That would be none of your business."

"Oh…okay." Hikari turned his gaze on Atemu, making him uncomfortable. He didn't like the way this stranger was looking at him, as if he could see something Atemu couldn't. He set the frame down with a sharp thump.

"I'm making dinner. You can set the table if you want to help."

"All right."

Moments later, as Hikari turned away to organize the table, Atemu allowed himself a moment to argue with himself.

There was no reason to lie about the picture. Hell, Mac had probably already filled Hikari in. You send someone to stay with a supposed lunatic for a day, it's only right to fill them in.

At the same time, if Mac hadn't explained about Jou, Atemu didn't want to risk scaring Hikari. Fear could be a person's friend or worst enemy, depending on how healthy a dose it was, but he didn't know how Hikari might react. More than that, he didn't want to risk the discussion causing some sort of connection, however menial, between them. He wasn't here to make friends or to protect people who'd made their own choices.

He wasn't much good at protecting people, period.

* * *

Not long after midnight, the young man with the alias Hikari got up from where he'd been sleeping on the couch and shuffled down the hall to the bathroom. Having availed himself of the facilities, he was on his way back to the couch, stretching as he did, when he passed by the open door of Yami's room.

There was a low light on inside, which struck him as unusual. But then, he'd noticed small lights along the edges of all the rooms. They weren't bright enough to keep him awake, but more light than most people had in their houses at night.

_For security_, he realized with a nod to himself. _In case there's an intruder, this way he can see._

As if any intruder could get inside. He'd watched Yami hook up the house's complicated alarm system before he'd gone to bed. There were probably banks less heavily wired.

In the glow of the light in the room, he could see Yami curled up asleep and drew in a slightly sharper breath when he saw, on the nightstand beside the bed, three different guns and extra ammunition for each, carefully arranged.

He could understand having one gun within reach. Maybe a second somewhere. But this?

Mac's words from earlier, before he'd set out for the port, came back to him.  
_  
__Yami's trustworthy, you'll be safe with him. He's one of my oldest workers._

"Oldest" had made him assume that the man he was going to meet would be in his forties, if not higher. He'd been startled to see that Yami was probably barely pushing late twenties.

_You might find him a little odd_, Mac had warned him. _He's been hurting for awhile now from a loss. Been holed up alone for too long if you ask me. But if things get bad he won't leave you behind. He'd get you out even if it killed him._

A loss. He assumed it had to go back to the picture he'd seen of Yami with the blond-haired man.

Instinctively, he knew that it was the smuggling world that had caused the likely death of the blond. That was the only explanation for why Yami was withdrawing from it. He hadn't met that many of his fellow smugglers so far, but the ones he had, even the retired ones, had all been confident and breezy. _"It's just a job,"_ they'd say with a grin. He hadn't seen someone broken down like this.

Realizing it was foolish to be lingering in the doorway of the room of a man who would probably blow him away if he awoke and saw him, he returned to the couch and pulled the blanket back over himself.

Yami was a weird person. It worried him, especially in light of the next day. He'd never seen Mac really concerned about a deal before and was starting to wonder if letting his pride accept the job had been bright. But he'd been told to trust Yami.

He _hadn't_ been told to feel sorry for him.

_He's hurting,_ he couldn't help thinking. _And me being here is causing him more hurt._

There'd been plenty of days when he wondered if this was the right world for him. Soft, emotional as he was, more than one person had said he might not be cut out for the harder parts. He took that as a challenge to accept any job he could, but sometimes, when alone, the doubts crept back in and he'd wonder if he was in too deep yet.

So he rolled onto his side, closed his eyes, and counted on that feeling to be gone by morning.

* * *

Atemu woke up at seven-thirty, groaning at the sunlight across his face. His mind wandered, unbidden, back to the day before. Immediately he felt his stomach drop as he remembered Hikari and what would happen later.

There was no warmth in admitting it to himself, but there had been something nice about having someone to eat dinner with. Someone to say good night to. Instead of making him feel good about his housemate, however, it made him feel sick.

_He could get killed doing this job._

Maybe not today, or next week, but someday. Atemu knew well enough how high the chances were. It did something to him, something bad, when he looked at Hikari and imagined him dead. No more smile, no more clear eyes, just a body to be dumped somewhere or a nameless corpse for the morgue.

There was a reason he'd disappeared after losing Jou. A reason he'd cut off contact with everyone except his clients. He didn't want to see good people anymore. Anyone he saw alive, happy, living, he would just see motionless and cold in nightmares later.

It was irrational and stupid and all he could do was watch himself become a slave to it.

_Mac's right. I am losing it._

He rolled over in bed, burying his face in the pillow. He was tired of seeing death in the face of every person he passed. So damn tired.

Fifteen minutes later he finally got up, smoothed his pajama shirt and padded out of the room.

"G' morning," he mumbled when he saw that Hikari was sitting up, studying something in his hand. A second look made him stop in his tracks. He was holding the picture from the bookcase again. "I told you not to touch that!"

Hikari looked up, a troubled expression on his face. "Why won't you say who he is?"

"Because you don't want to know."

"But I do. You're hiding something."

"Get used to it," he replied harshly. "You want coffee?"

Hikari gave him a look that surprised Atemu a bit. Obviously there was a tougher core in him than Atemu had thought. "With milk if that's all right."

Atemu nodded. It'd be easier to make tea, but there was something therapeutic about grinding coffee beans.

Hikari was still holding the picture when Atemu walked back in from the kitchen.

"Mac said you're coming along tonight to make sure I get out safely," he said.

Atemu nodded, folding his arms.

"So I'm supposed to be able to trust you."

"You don't have to. I'd rather you didn't."

Hikari's brow furrowed. "I want to be able to. I'd feel better about this whole thing if I could."

"Not much I can do about that," Atemu said quietly, a queasy feeling in his gut. Guilt?

"I've heard this gang isn't very nice," Hikari said.

"They're not."

"Mac said this one was dangerous. Does he always say that?"

Atemu lifted one shoulder. "I think someone can be in danger without even realizing it. What anyone else says doesn't matter."

Hikari set the frame down. "How old are you?"

The sudden change of topic made Atemu uncomfortable, but he answered anyway, "Twenty-seven."

"Only three years above me then."

Atemu stared. He couldn't help it. Hikari was twenty-four? He didn't look a day over seventeen.

"But I've only been involved for a year," he continued. "And I've never done a deal that went bad. You've done this a lot longer, haven't you, Yami?"

"Since I was fifteen," he muttered. "Been dealing since nineteen."

"Were your parents in this…?"

"Oh, no, they wouldn't have anything to do with this business. They raised me right. Good school, middle-income, the whole package. I was the one who took a wrong turn somewhere. Mac took me in."

"Oh." His gaze went back to the picture. Atemu watched him.

It wasn't right, to hide the details. Hikari deserved to know. Mac, for all his faults, was decent about letting newbies leave if they weren't in too deep. Hikari would still have to answer for any personal enemies he'd already made, but maybe he could convince the young man to back out of the system while he still had a chance.

"Look…if you really want to know, his name's Jounouchi," he said. "Or it was. He was my partner. We were doing a simple deal with a gang, I was lookout. A rival gang took the opportunity to strike and he was caught in the crossfire. It happened before I could move. The rival gang who broke the pact to not involve neutral parties is the one you're meeting later today. That's the story."

Hikari released an audible breath and looked up, his large eyes wide with sympathy.

Atemu grit his teeth. "You shouldn't be part of this business," he said, shaking his head. "You don't have the eyes for it."

"I can learn," Hikari replied defensively, though his expression betrayed the statement.

"Let me guess, you're in it for some honorable reason, right? A sick sibling needs medicine, you need to save an orphanage from being foreclosed on…?"

Hikari shook his head. "Nothing like that. I was born poor and it sucked. I'd just like to build up my finances. Be able to afford something nice for a change. Maybe then, if my parents think I'm successful, they can stop regretting what they couldn't give me."

Well damn. Atemu turned around and returned to the kitchen to check on the coffee. It'd be easier to dismiss him if he had some sappy goal. Somehow, one with a bit of honest selfishness wasn't so easy to laugh at.

Back in the living area he handed the mug of coffee with cream to Hikari and sat down beside him on the couch. He'd left his black and bitter. It suited his mood.

"Does Mac know? That this gang is the one who killed your friend?" Hikari asked between sips.

Atemu shook his head. "I didn't have proof. He refuses to start burning his bridges with the gangs around here unless I have proof of who it was. I was pissed, but I guess I can't blame him."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You go around feeling weakness for people and it won't be long before someone figures out how to exploit that," Atemu muttered.

"I guess you've experienced that firsthand?"

"No offense, but it's the reason you're here."

"Huh?" Hikari said.

"I don't know if Mac told you or not, but I'm not really a people person. He knows why. Technically I'm not even doing deals anymore. But he convinced me to let you come here by appealing to my weaker nature. He knew there was no way I could let a newbie face the people who I believe killed Jou alone."

"Oh." He swirled the coffee in his mug. "Well, thank you, I guess."

Atemu felt that stab of guilt again. "It's nothing personal. I just…don't do well with people these days. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else coming here either."

"No, I understand." The coffee had cooled. Hikari took a longer draught and looked up. "Mac did mention a few things…nothing specific."

"He tell you I'm apparently losing it?"

"I think he used the phrase 'burning out.'"

"Ah," Atemu said. "Well, don't worry, I'm not going to lose it today. I'm retired, not incompetent."

"I didn't think you'd lose it today."

"Then why do you look so unsure?"

Hikari drained his mug and set it down. "I guess I'm wondering if I'm in over my head."

Atemu was relieved by the uncertainty. So Hikari still had some sense left in him after all. "No shame in that. This isn't for everyone. Even the people who it's for, if they survive, it's not forever."

Hikari didn't look as if he liked the addition of the "if they survive" comment. "Yami?"

"Yeah?" he said, raising his mug to his lips. It was tough to drink black coffee fast.

"My name is Yugi."

Atemu swallowed the bitter gulp of coffee badly and tried not to cough. "Why…why would you tell me that?"

"Because I want to know your name." He met his eyes again, fearlessly. "And it's only fair that I give you mine in return."

Atemu didn't have to answer. He could stand up right then, refuse, and there was nothing Hikari – Yugi now, he supposed – could do about it.

Instead, he replied, "Atemu. It's Atemu."

"Atemu." Yugi paused. "If something goes wrong tonight, can I trust you?"

Atemu looked away, down at his mug.

_No, you can't. Jou trusted me and he's gone._

His mind flashed upon Yugi's possible death, and he felt his hands clench.

"You can trust me," he said aloud.

Yugi nodded, then smiled. "Thank you."

Atemu gulped down the rest of his coffee, grabbed Yugi's mug, and stood up. "Thank me when we get home safely," he said, leaving the room.

It was too late. A connection had been forged whether he liked it or not.

* * *

The radio once again served to fill the silence in the car (this one a rental, on an account with a fake name) that evening as they drove through the choppy, pre-rush hour traffic. Atemu kept his eyes focused on the road, Yugi beside him sitting with the suitcase in his lap. Before they left, Atemu had helped him hook up a small radio system under his clothes, as well as tried to help him position his pistol someplace within easy reach, only for Yugi to roll his eyes at that and comment that he wasn't a complete idiot. Atemu had backed off on suggestions after that.

The wire was new to him though. He'd never worn one before. Hell, he'd never heard of any smuggler using one before. It was a tiny microphone attached to the inside of his clothes, with a thin wire that led to a small battery in his pocket, invisible from the outside. A receiver had been set up inside the car. The idea was for Atemu to monitor the conversation and swoop in if things went bad.

"Is this necessary?" he'd asked.

"Mac would call me paranoid," Atemu had acknowledged.

"But you have a good reason to be, don't you?"

"Yes."

Yugi had nodded then and not argued.

They made it to the appointed meeting place on time. Atemu wasn't surprised to not see the gang leader among the people waiting. He wouldn't dare show his face at a drug deal. That's what lackeys were for.

He pulled up, let Yugi out with the suitcase, then drove a safe distance away, sat and watched. He wasn't worried about the gang knowing he was there; it was normal enough for someone to have a partner waiting nearby. One man stepped away from the rest; obviously the appointed dealer. The conversation crackled over the wire: an exchange of pleasantries and confirmation of the agreement. Then talk turned to payment.

"So it's six hundred?" the go-between asked.

Atemu sat up a little straighter. This was the part he'd worried about from the beginning. His hand hovered over his gun.

"No," came Yugi's voice. Atemu saw him straighten his back a little as well. "Mac changed the prices, it's seven now."

From inside the car, Atemu saw the dealer's face darken. "Fucking Mac," he swore, "trying to rip us off."

Yugi stood his ground. "It's the economy. You're telling me you haven't raised your own prices?"

Atemu winced. _Yugi, don't challenge them…_

The dealer glared, pulling himself to his full height. "All right wiseass. You'll sell it to me at the normal price and you can make up the difference yourself."

"You'll buy it at the price we've set or not at all," Yugi returned, too harshly.

Atemu, who was watching the scene closely, spotted the moment that the dealer went for his gun. He already had the car in gear and rolling when Yugi noticed the dealer's weapon and reacted.

In a fluid, well-practiced movement he drew his own gun and fired. Atemu hit the brakes on the car, his heart pounding. The dealer's body wasn't thrown backwards so much as it crumpled.

In that instant, Atemu realized two things.

First, Yugi, while he'd obviously practiced drawing and firing, had never actually killed someone and seen the dirty side of death. He was frozen where he was, eyes wide with shock, a stunned expression on his face.

Second, the rest of the gang had only turned to pay attention when the gunshot went off, making Yugi's attack appear unprovoked.

"_Fuck,_" he swore, grabbing one of his guns from the seat and slamming on the gas pedal.

Yugi's gaze was focused on the motionless body before him. He swayed where he was, not knowing what to do. He hadn't thought, hadn't planned for this…

"What the hell?" someone nearby demanded, and he looked up to see the rest of the gang taking notice, many reaching for their own weapons. More people had appeared, back-up who had hidden nearby.

Yugi's brain screamed at him to run, but his legs didn't move. His gun only had seven bullets left and he was nowhere near good enough to outshoot twice that many experienced gang members. Pointlessly, he squeezed his eyes shut, as if that would stop the lead from tearing him apart.

There was a screech of brakes, the sudden roar of gunfire and the clanging of bullets on metal. A car door opened and louder, closer gunshots answered. The gang members broke ranks and someone grabbed Yugi's arm and yanked him off balance. Yugi opened his eyes to see Atemu in front of him.

"Get in the car," Atemu said, shoving him and the suitcase toward the open driver-side door. He carried a short, stocky black gun with a second clip taped to the bottom of the one already feeding into it.

"Ate–"

"_Now_, Hikari!" he snarled, peering down the barrel of his automatic and pressing the trigger again.  
_  
__Never again, you bastards._

This time there was return fire and Yugi heard bullets clanging on the car and hitting the pavement, sending up sprays of asphalt.

"But– if I leave– how will you get away?"

_I don't care._

His mind had been made up from the moment he left the car. What better way to make amends, what better way to fix the pain, than to go out finally being able to protect someone?

If he survived the fight, he'd decided, it would be by mistake.

Atemu yanked the clip out, flipped it to the fresh one, and jammed it back in. In the few seconds it took, the gang members surged forward, around the side of the car. Yugi dove behind the car door as Atemu swung his gun up to fire back.

He noticed Yugi move. For a second he was distracted, relieved that Yugi had taken cover.

Sudden pain in his right shoulder made him curse and involuntarily drop his gun. He heard a shout of victory from one of the gang members.

Another eruption of pain followed from his leg. He dropped to one knee, picked up the gun with his other hand and fired awkwardly. It forced the gang to scatter, but they still moved in closer, nearly close enough to aim to kill.

He had a second set of clips, but his right arm wasn't responding. Slick blood had covered his useless fingers, making it impossible to pull out the other set. A third bullet found his body, just under his ribs, as he struggled to hold the spent gun as a shield over his chest.

The haze of pain was making it hard to focus. He could see the world fading out.

_At least it won't hurt anymore._

The thought almost made him smile.

That's when he heard the car. The engine revved and the evening came alive with shrieks and sharp cracks and dull thuds. The gunfire ceased.

With the strength he had left, he looked up in time to see the rental car mowing through the gang, plowing into the men not swift enough to leap out of the way. It spun around with a screech. The passenger door was open.

The car lurched to a stop beside him. Atemu saw Yugi reaching down toward him, and felt him grab his arms. His injured shoulder screamed. For all he knew, he was screaming too. He could hear Yugi whispering, "oh my God, oh God, no," to himself and felt him trying to haul him up.

Even as part of his mind argued that this was wrong, that he wasn't supposed to be rescued, he used the last strength in his uninjured leg to help lift himself and fell sideways into the passenger's seat. There was the sound of a door slamming, another engine roar, and a number of jolts as the vehicle spun around again. His body protested.

Yugi was saying something. Atemu didn't know what. His mind had had enough.

No more pain. No more fear. He prayed it would stay that way.

* * *

But since when had God ever listened to him?

When Atemu awoke, it was to the sight of a ceiling. He tried to move and groaned at the stabs of pain. An older man with hawk-like features came into view; Atemu recognized him.

"Itami," he mumbled.

"Don't move, Atemu," the man warned belatedly.

Atemu stared up at the ceiling. He recognized it, too; this was the home of one of the best underground doctors in the area. "What…how'd I get here?"

"Guy you were with might be green, but he's no fool," Itami replied, carrying over a few pills and a glass of water. "He brought you to the right place. Here, take these."

Atemu swallowed the pills. "I don't suppose you've got anything faster lying around? Real hospitals have morphine."

Itami gave him a look. "Maybe if you got yourself hurt doing something legal you could have the luxury of a hospital."

"Hmn," Atemu conceded, before trying to sit up again. "Wait, where is Yu– Hikari. Is he okay?"

"The kid's fine. You want, I'll bring him down to see you. He's been fretting upstairs all day. He won't eat, won't sleep, won't even call Mac 'til he sees you."

"Mac doesn't know I'm here?"

"Of course he knows you're here,_ I_ called him. He foots all your bills."

"Next time you talk to him, tell him he's an asshole," Atemu muttered. "Sending Hikari into that…"

"I may paraphrase. You want to talk to the kid?"

Atemu shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Itami left the room. Moments later Atemu heard footsteps flying down the stairs, and Yugi burst into the room. His face was ashen. There were dark stains on his hands.

"Atemu!" He took a few timid steps toward the bed.

"How'd you know to bring me here?" Atemu asked.

"I found the address in your wallet. Mac said to always keep…an address…" His voice failed and he took another step. "Are you– will you–?"

"I'll be fine."

It must have been the wrong thing to say. Yugi's eyes filled with tears.

"Yugi?"

Slowly, he made the last few steps, coming to stand beside the bed. His expression grew more stricken as he looked down at him and his hands clenched, gripping a corner of the blanket in his fingers.

"Yugi?" Atemu asked again, causing him to flinch.

"You didn't intend to survive that fight, did you?" Yugi whispered. "I saw your face…you had the chance to get in the car and we could have left, but you…you just _stayed_ there…"

"I was giving you a chance to escape."

"I'd already escaped! Damn it, Atemu, _why_? You could have died, they would have killed you…"

Atemu shrugged and winced. "If I went out giving you a chance to get away–"

"Then what?" Yugi exploded. "What? Then that makes everything okay? Then that gets you off the hook for Jounouchi's death?"

"Yugi," Atemu said, startled.

"That's it. You didn't want to survive. You were just using this – using me – to set up a situation you could die in!"

"No, Yugi, that was never– I just meant that if I died, it was okay, because I saved you."

Yugi's face almost appeared to crumple under the weight of the emotion on it. "So it's okay to leave me to feel guilty the rest of my life? So long as you're dead, so long as you die feeling like a hero it's fine if I have to see it?" Tears welled up in his eyes and red splotches of anger colored his cheeks as he grit his teeth, glaring at Atemu. "How is that okay? How do you figure that's okay!"

Taken aback, Atemu mumbled feebly, "I didn't…I didn't mean for that–"

"Yes, you did!"

Atemu tried to stare him down, but was unable to. He broke away from Yugi's gaze. "I didn't plan it. I couldn't have known there would be a fight. But once I was in it, I thought…if I had died, who cares?"

The tears escaped, sliding down Yugi's face. "Atemu…?"

"Jounouchi's gone. Mac thinks I'm insane. My parents won't talk to me, they pretend like I'm dead. I can't go out in public anymore without losing my mind. I ignored all my friends until they were gone." He closed his eyes. "Who's left to hurt over me? The boy down the street who I pay to get my groceries? I guess he might miss the extra income."

There was a thump and he looked to see that Yugi was on his knees, still gripping the sheet. His shoulders trembled. "Don' talk like that."

"Yugi?"

"I'm left! You were nice to me and you protected me; you saved my life after my own stupid mistake. Doesn't that form a connection? Don't you think…how much it would hurt me, to see you die because of me?"

Once again he met Atemu's eyes, but this time Atemu didn't respond. And Yugi could see utter shock in his expression.

"It really…didn't occur to you."

Atemu shook his head. "I'm sorry."

Somehow, that hurt worse. And he stared down at Atemu, at this person who was damaged in so many ways, and he felt helpless.

_He really believes no one would care._

"You said you didn't think I belonged in this business," he said slowly.

Atemu nodded. "I still say so."

Yugi took a deep breath. "Yeah. I…think you might have a point. After last night…I don't know if I could get used to that. If I fuck up like that again and nobody's there to get me out..."

Atemu's expression softened into something like approval. "You shouldn't want to get used to it. Call Mac first thing and say you want out, he'll let you."

"I feel like a quitter."

"Better a quitter than ending up like me."

Yugi surveyed him through reddened eyes. "You're one hell of a life coach."

"Yeah, well." He tried to shrug and grunted from the pain. "You're making a good choice. Make money some other way, it's no good if you're dead."

"So you don't mind if I stay with you until I figure my plans out, then," Yugi said, almost conversationally, causing Atemu's jaw to drop.

"_What_?"

"You're the one who's got me talked out my job. I need someplace to stay."

"You're not staying with me!"

Itami poked his head around the door and addressed Yugi. "Please, stay with him or the dumbass will never heal."

"This is none of your business," Atemu snapped at him, turning his attention to Yugi. "You can't stay with me. I have to get out of here, anyway. Those guys are going to want revenge."

"And you think I'm letting them take it out on you?" Yugi asked. "Two of us means twice the defense if they do."

"Like hell–"

Yugi interrupted him. "Give it up. You need someone to stay with you for awhile and I need a place to crash and we both need someone to watch our backs. We're friends now, so it just makes sense. Besides, I'm not letting you slink off alone after what you did for me. Deal with it."

Atemu was rendered speechless for the moment.

God, it was just like when he and Jounouchi had teamed up and he'd informed his new partner, _"You know I'm used to being alone."_

_"Well you'd better get over that,"_ Jounouchi had retorted.

It had made him laugh at the time. Yugi's words didn't make him laugh. They did something different.

It had been such a long time since he'd smiled.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** I'm kind of excited about this theme, so it's cool that its posting day fell on my birthday. x3 One year older today! This theme, like _Impressionable youth_ and _Streak_, is one that I'm really curious to see the responses to.  
The first scene was inspired by the song _Smuggler's Blues_. Then it kind of went off on a tangent. xD; I strongly encourage you to look the song up. It's quite good.  
Also if you do prayer circles for computers, mine needs one. I've been fighting with it since yesterday to make it not die on me. Live, computer! Live! *sob*


	66. Change of heart: Angst, G

**Theme:** 066 - Change of heart; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Angst  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Atemu/Yugi  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** He would give it all up for just one more day.

* * *

Having been in his bed when he went to sleep the night before, it came as a shock to Yugi to wake up and find himself, not in his bed, but in his soul room. And it came as an even bigger shock when he materialized beside Atemu to discover that they somewhere _he didn't recognize_. Sitting on a bench on what looked like a busy street in the early morning light; a street that definitely _wasn't_ in Domino.

"Atemu…" he said slowly, looking around. "Where are we?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? But you brought us here. How did we get here?"

"We're at the end of the train line."

"The end of the…" Yugi stared at him in horror. "What time is it?"

"I don't know."

"We're supposed to be at the airport at ten!" He looked around again, voice rising. "And it looks like it's already well into morning!"

Atemu lowered his head to his hands, palms pressed to his eyes.

"Atemu…" Yugi kept staring at him. "What did you do?"

"I just…didn't want to go. I didn't think about it. I went to the train station, I bought a ticket, I didn't care where to, I just wanted to be on the train and gone."

"But we can't," Yugi said desperately. "We can't be _here_, everyone is probably worried sick about where I've vanished off to, we have to go back…let me back in control, I'll find an ATM and take care of this. We might be able to make it back before the flight."

He didn't answer. Yugi planted himself firmly in front of him. "Atemu, either give up control, or I'll take it from you."

Atemu reached out, grabbing his sleeve, not even noticing that to the rest of the world it looked as if he was just reaching out pointlessly. His head was down, bangs hiding his eyes, but Yugi saw tears suddenly run down his cheeks and drip to the ground.

"Please, Aibou…one more day."

Yugi's expression softened.

"Atemu, no," he whispered.

"Why." It was too weak to even be a question.

"Because one more day will turn into two more days, and that will turn into a week, and…it can't be that way. We have to go. You wanted this, remember? This was your goal."

"Then I changed my mind! I don't want my memories. I don't want a place to go back to. I don't want any of it. Throw it all away, I don't want it anymore!"

"Atemu…" He sat down beside him. "You chose this path. You can't just back out of it now. We have to go back home."

"I…I know." His teeth pressed down upon his bottom lip. "I knew that when I left. I just wanted…one more day."

Yugi stared at him. He had never seen Atemu look so miserable before. He was stronger than this, he never allowed himself to fall apart, but after what had happened…what other explanation for taking off was there? He knew his responsibilities and never let anything get in the way. So for him to do this…what must he be feeling inside?

Slowly, Yugi placed his hand over Atemu's.

"One more day," he said softly.

Atemu looked up wordlessly. Yugi nodded, leaning his head against his shoulder. His other self smiled shyly, gripping his hand back, his eyes still wet with tears, but the anguish in them wasn't so intense. He gently leaned his head back against Yugi's, neither of them speaking, neither moving, just sitting together one last time.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** I apologize for the longer-than-usual wait...I'm having massive writer's block on theme 068, so I've been putting off 066 and 067 as long as possible!

Happy Valentine's Day!


	67. Angels & demons: Gen&Introspective, PG

**Theme:** 067 - Angels and demons; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/introspective  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairings:** Yami no Yugi/Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Sometimes Yugi _wished _the being inside his Puzzle was a demon.

* * *

There were times when Yugi wished the being inside his Puzzle was a demon.

A demon would make _sense_. Demons were _supposed _to take over people's bodies and make them do unspeakable things. Demons were naturally cruel and dark and amused by the pain of their enemies.

It would certainly be easier than trying to accept that a normal human spirit was capable of what the spirit of the Puzzle could do. Even though Yugi instinctively knew that the spirit would never harm him, and even though he knew the spirit now felt contrite, (for the most part), over his punishment of his enemies, when he thought about what the spirit had done, it made him shudder. If he himself had died and been stuck inside a puzzle for three thousand years, would he have come out vindictive and sadistic also? It was a disturbing thought.

And, more importantly, demonic forces would be a convenient explanation for the attraction.

_Demons seduce people_, Yugi told himself. _Even people of their same sex. They're sent to tempt humans into sin._

After all, he'd had a perfectly normal crush on Anzu for years. Then the spirit had come along, and Yugi found himself forgetting his interest in her and becoming more and more entranced by his other self's long, leather-clad legs and firmly toned body. Not to mention his deep voice and flashing eyes and crooked, self-assured smirk…

He told himself it was wrong. Unnatural. Sick, even. But it felt too right to ignore. If only he could write it off as the spell of a demon. Or even that of an angel. A reckless, beautiful, rebellious angel, sent to protect and test him. He was even willing to believe that angels would tempt humans to sin as well (_perhaps to challenge us, of course, to see if we can resist darkness_, he would tell himself), if it would explain away his feelings.

But he couldn't. Because _mou hitori no Yugi_ was neither demon nor angel. He was simply a spirit with dark magic that he was willing to unleash on anyone who dared to upset his _aibou_. A ridiculously good-looking spirit with a smile that could make Yugi's knees weak, a voice that could make his heart skip and movements so fluid that merely watching him walk could put Yugi on the verge of keeling clean over.

Which meant that this attraction was nothing more or less than Yugi's true feelings for the other being.

And that unsettled him far more than anything the spirit had done.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes: **Normally I have Yugi be totally cool with the whole, "I love another guy," thing. I imagine he would be open-minded and he never seemed religious, but I've written him accepting it easily a million times. I wanted to try something different this time.


	68. Common interests: Introspective&Angst, G

**Theme:** 068 - Common interests; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Introspective/angst  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Atemu/Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** End of the show, so yeah...xD  
**Summary:** If Yugi told him Atemu had been there, Jounouchi would have believed it. He would have believed anything if it just meant his friend could finally heal.

* * *

They all paid special attention to Obon that year.

Jounouchi had never cared much for it, before. Having no real connection with his ancestors it was simply an excuse to be out of school. This year was different. This year, he knew, they were all holding their breaths, willing the festival to come, hoping that somehow it might provide comfort for Yugi.

His friend did so well acting normal, too. Anyone who hadn't known the truth about why Yugi no longer wore his pendent would not have noticed the change in him, but it was obvious to those in their little group. Jounouchi worried the most; he'd been the one among them to catch a glimpse of Yugi's _tanabata_ card.

_"I want to see you."_

The words had frightened him; Yugi had been so _practical_ about everything until then. His clearly-impossible wish made Jounouchi wonder what else he was holding in. When Obon arrived not even two weeks later they all threw themselves into preparations, dragging Yugi along to help decorate the park and make lanterns, all in a silent agreement that they wouldn't let Yugi spend the spirit-related festival alone. Perhaps Yugi knew what they were trying to do, because he never questioned why at least one of them was always by his side.

Anzu hosted a sleep-over the night before the final day. In the middle of the night Jounouchi awoke and heard the sound of mumbling. Shaking his head against grogginess, he listened harder and realized it was Yugi's voice, whispering under his breath.

"I miss you so much. You're doing okay, aren't you? I hope you're doing okay. I want you to be happy where you are. I'll always love you...even if you're far away, I promise I love you and I just hope you think well of me and…know you're always in my heart…"

Jounouchi bit his lip, trying not to hear the words he knew were meant for only one person. He'd always known. Even months before Atemu left, even if neither Yugi nor Atemu said a word, he had known. They had all lost a friend, but Yugi had lost more. So much more.

The next evening, as they stood upon the seawall and watched their lantern boats drift out of sight, Jounouchi surreptitiously glanced down at Yugi and saw that his cheeks were wet. It gave him hope; his friend hadn't cried once since coming home. Maybe he was starting to heal, at last.

_I wonder if Atemu came back to visit him during the festival? _

Yugi had made that wish to see him again, and he was sure that Atemu, wherever he was, wanted to see Yugi, too. He didn't know a whole lot about love, but he knew the bond they had could never just vanish.

_I hope Atemu visited him. I bet he did, last night, even if the rest of us couldn't see him. _

He remembered Yugi's words, heartbreakingly soft and brittle, and refused to think that they hadn't reached Atemu, or that Atemu hadn't sent the very same message back to Yugi. There had been another person in the room last night, the only person Yugi could open his heart to that way. And if Jounouchi hadn't been able to hear a response, that was because Yugi was the only person Atemu would open his heart to, as well. The words weren't meant to be heard by anyone else.

_If Yugi tells me he was here, I'll believe him,_ he vowed to himself. _I promise I'll believe him._

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Sure, they celebrate Tanabata AND Obon. Why not? Domino's a big enough place to want to host both.  
I had insane writer's block on this theme so I finally broke down and stole the inspiration from a scene in Animal Academy. It feels like cheating to borrow scenes from other things, but guh, I just wanted to complete this theme and move on. .  
Happy early birthday to my Yugi-Gina, Inuconen, and Wesley!


	69. The usual spot: General, G, AU

**Theme:** 069 - The usual spot; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** 'Atemu'/Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** The stranger probably wasn't any of the things Yugi imagined him to be, but even if he was nothing more than a shy fan who came to listen to him sing, Yugi was still always happy to see him.

**

* * *

**

As Yugi took the stage he heard a roar go up around the bar. He smiled at the crowd a moment, using their cheers to energize himself. He always remembered the first night he'd gotten up there – how different it had been; the half-hearted applause, the skeptical grumbling of the regular singers who resented that a moment when they might be up had been taken by some newbie. The fact that his whole body had frozen was probably all that stopped Yugi from sprinting off the stage in terror at his boldness. And only the knowledge of the chances he might lose, (and the laughter he'd face if he'd just stood there silently), had forced him to open his mouth when the music started.

Their grumbling had faded to silence after one song. By the end of a second, even the most jealous among the other singers were clapping for the young man. By the end of two weeks, the owners of the bar asked him to become a regular performer – he'd almost doubled their business, and they didn't want him leaving.

Even now, however, he still felt a twinge of that old nervousness. So he relaxed, took in the praise, and waved. As his eyes swept the dimmed room, he noticed _him _again.

The stranger had appeared a week or so before, Yugi hadn't noticed him right away because newcomers entered the bar everyday. One night, finally, he had realized that the person sitting at the corner table was the same person as he had seen for a few days. But, unlike the regulars, he didn't seem to have friends among the crowd. He sat alone, sipping a fizzy drink with extra cherries. He always looked far too focused to have been drinking hard alcohol, but Yugi couldn't understand why someone would frequent a bar just to order a single cocktail.

Tonight the young man sat in his usual spot, leaning back in his chair. His eyes were trained toward the stage, the crimson irises a hue just slightly darker than the cherries he was fishing out of his glass one at a time and popping in his mouth. While his expression was withdrawn, his lips seemed to turn up at the corners when Yugi looked his direction.

As always, for the last few days, Yugi's heart sped up in excitement at the sight of him. The only explanation he could come up with for the man's presence and sobriety was that he was a talent scout. Yugi glowed at the thought and let his imagination run unchecked, imagining that tonight would be the night that the handsome – _What? Handsome? Had he really just referred to the man that way?_ – stranger approached him and offered him a chance to audition for a record label.

Of course he knew it was ridiculous. Talent scouts didn't frequent small town bars. The more likely reason was that he was just a shy fan who came to listen to Yugi's singing; which, strangely, filled Yugi with just as much warmth as the talent scout possibility. He only wished he could catch up with him and ask his name. But every night, by the time he broke away from the throng of inebriated fans grouped around the stage door, the table would be empty.

Tonight, Yugi consoled himself that he would soon learn the truth. Before the show he had asked one of the waitresses to deliver the man his drink on the house, and to give him a note Yugi had written hastily backstage. He had peered out in time to see the stranger reading it, his eyebrows raised, a slight flush to his cheeks. He hadn't left and Yugi hoped that tonight…maybe tonight the mystery would be solved.

He signaled for the music and took one last deep breath. He prayed that when his set was over the man would still be there. But for now he would enjoy his moment of modest fame and sing his heart out, a song of questions and feelings and truth, as he unconsciously directed his words toward the shadowy corner table.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Everybody has to write about Yugi as a singer at some point. _Everybody_. OTL This theme's kind of meh. Better stuff coming up in the next themes, for sure.

Super-belated happy Spring post!


	70. Opposites attract: Gen&Introspective, PG

**Theme:** 070 - Opposites attract; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/introspective  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairings:** Yami no Yugi/Yugi  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** He always thought he loved the spirit in spite of his sins. Perhaps, however, it was that darkness which had caught his eye in the first place.

* * *

Yugi thought he had prepared well for telling his friends his big secret.

Reasonably, he expected that they would be surprised and maybe even a little doubtful. After all, for sixteen years they'd assumed he was straight. Hell, _he_had assumed he was straight. So in preparation he went over his past and picked out any hints and examples that pointed toward his sexuality. He also anticipated questions about how a human and a spirit could have a relationship and was prepared for those as well.

On the big day he cleared his throat, did a quick mental review of his best explanations, and delivered the news about he and the spirit's newfound relationship in a cheery tone.

Afterward, they'd sat in silence for a few moments until Jounouchi said, "He never seemed like your type!"

This was not the reaction he'd expected. All things considered, it ought to have been much easier to handle. Explaining his partner's personality had to be simpler than explaining that his partner was another man, or how the whole ghost and living person situation worked. Yugi had opened his mouth to explain – only to discover he didn't have a reason.

That night, lying in bed, Jounouchi's words came back to him.

_Not my type? Why would he think that?_

He wondered what "type" they had expected. He supposed it was true that he and the spirit had differing personalities. The spirit was headstrong, more confident…perhaps they had imagined Yugi with someone meek and quiet like himself.

And, he thought, there _were _the things the spirit had done when he first solved the Puzzle. Things he would never do.

He'd wondered about it himself when he first came to realize his feelings, and had come to the conclusion that he loved the spirit in spite of his sins. Now, as he lay there contemplating their differences, he wondered if he wasn't, even just a little bit, _attracted _to his sins.

It was disconcerting, really. He was the quiet one, the gentle one, the peacemaker among his friends. He abhorred violence and those who used it to take control. He never thought he'd condone darkness. He assumed he was just looking past the spirit's darker side, never that maybe it was that dark side which caught his eye.

Of course he couldn't tell his friends this – it made him blush just to admit it to himself – but maybe that was the answer. He had spent his whole life being good and kind and docile, that perhaps there was part of him that was slightly bored with the whole thing. It was who he was, he couldn't – and didn't want to – change that, but the spirit brought an edge of power and control into his life that he never would have found on his own.

Yugi had to admit there was a slight thrill attached. Winning the spirit's affection was like taming danger. He knew that his other self would never lift a hand to hurt him, but that same hand could and _would_be used to punish anyone else who crossed him. How could that not be a little exciting? The idea that he was the only person in the world who his other self would kill for, would die for…would even go against his own nature for.

It betrayed every non-violent bone in his body, but he couldn't deny that, where the spirit was concerned, the same darkness he hated could be a little…_sexy_.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:**This isn't meant to be related to theme 067 – Angels and demons, it just worked out that they were similar. ^^; I guess, in a way, it could be considered a different version or even a sequel if you want to see it like that.

Enjoy this fluff now. There's angst-a-plenty ahead. Whee!


	71. Scraps of paper: Angst&Romance, G, AU

**Theme:** 071 - Scraps of paper; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Angst/romance  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Yami/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Yami may be gone, but that didn't erase they love they had shared, or the memories of their life together.  
**Disclaimer: **Yugioh does not belong to me. :  
**Note:** This is sort of a sequel to theme 027 - Vital signs.

* * *

The sight of Yami's clothing hanging in the closet was enough to cause more tears to spring to Yugi's eyes. He wiped them away on his already-damp sleeve for perhaps the hundredth time and took a shaky breath. It wasn't like he hadn't expected to find all of Yami's things still in their places, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

_No, they aren't Yami's anymore_, he corrected himself. Everything belonged to Yugi now, Yami's will had made that perfectly clear, but he had no interest in the possessions he'd inherited. He'd have gladly given them all up to have Yami back. And despite the fact that in the eyes of the law everything now belonged to Yugi, he knew he would never be able to think of these clothes as anything but Yami's. His feelings toward the clothing gave some insight into why he hadn't returned to the house after leaving the hospital. He'd stayed in a hotel and bought necessities from a store, never wanting to set foot in the home he and Yami had shared again. He didn't want the house to be _his_, he wanted it to be _theirs_…from the moment he let go of Yami's limp hand he knew he never wanted to go back.

That was a month ago. Then the real estate agent announced that because he was now the sole owner, he had to choose between selling the house as it was, or going through it and collecting all his personal possessions. And whatever his misgivings, he couldn't bear the thought of all of Yami's things, things he'd cared about, just being thrown in the trash by the new owners.

The kitchen hadn't been too bad. The living room far worse, but he'd handled it. It was cleaning out the bedroom that he dreaded. The moment he walked into it he burst into sobs that took him far too long to stem.

Taking another breath, he pulled an empty box over to the closet doors and began pulling clothes out – his own first, the less painful task. As he finally reached in and pulled out one of Yami's shirts, he felt the tears coming back, stinging worse than ever.

"Yami…" he murmured, hugging the shirt. Even with the dust, a familiar scent lingered, bringing another bitter pang. Part of him still couldn't believe that Yami would never wear it again.

Tenderly he folded it into the box, followed by others. Each piece of clothing brought a strange mix of sadness and fondness to him as he remembered some happy memory it invoked. As he did, the bookshelf hidden behind the clothes came into view. Everything on it had a thin coat of dust; they'd tended to ignore the closet on cleaning days. Sneezing, Yugi moved Yami's clothes out of the way and began sorting through the odds and ends, some of them painful to find. Here were the old games they had once spent long afternoons playing together. And here was the pressed flower, carefully preserved in plastic wrapping, from the night Yami proposed. And here was…

_What is this?_

He frowned, tugging at a plain, cardboard box shoved into the corner. Brushing dust off the beat-up lid, he thought it looked strangely familiar. Then, after a moment, it hit him.

_Could this be…?_

Breathless, he pulled the lid off and looked down into a box full of what at first looked like scraps of old paper. His heart pounded.  
_  
It is…it really is…_

He'd forgotten all about this box. There had been a huge fight a few years after they began dating. After it, every card, every note, everything that Yami had ever written on or held or looked at, he'd thrown in the box, intending to throw it away. But a few days later Yami had come back to ask if they could talk, they'd both apologized, and Yugi had kept the box, finding it a simple way of storing all the letters and cards that Yami had given him during their first few years together.

Hand trembling, he reached in and picked up the first thing, a gift tag from a birthday present with a little note scribbled on it. The next thing he found was a card Yami had left on the table as a surprise one morning. The third, a printed-out e-mail Yami had sent, the very first time he'd ever signed the word "love" at the end of a letter to Yugi.

His lower lip quivering, Yugi sorted through the scraps, each one causing a lump in his throat. He was half-sobbing, and yet with each bit of memory he read he felt himself smile a little, warmed by the sight of Yami's wishes of love.

_This has been here, all this time…_

Yugi knew he would have re-found this box eventually, whether Yami was alive or not, but finding it now meant more than anything. He'd entered the house that morning hating it, hating everything inside it. All he wanted was to box up everything and give it to his friends. Yet the more he'd packed, the more he'd found that he wanted to keep. The more he'd found himself reliving the fond memories and instead of hating them, welcoming them. And now this box…that he should find it now, after all these years that he'd forgotten about it, it was almost as if Yami was reaching out to him even in death.

"Are you trying to tell me you still love me?" he whispered aloud, holding an old, faded Valentine's Day card as tears coursed down his face. "Yami…is this your way of reminding me to smile?"

Lifting his arm, he wiped his face again and saw on a clock nearby how late it was. He could finish packing tomorrow, he had plenty of time. In fact, maybe he would call the real estate agent and ask her to hold off on listing the house. Just a few extra days, what could it hurt?

Back at the hotel, despite the exhaustion of the day, he found himself staying up. Curled on the bed, he re-read each piece of paper, savoring each one, hearing the words spoken in his mind in Yami's soft voice.

And if finding this _was _Yami's way of reminding him of his love, and reminding him to smile…it worked.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes**: This seemed too sad of a theme to post for Easter, so here it is today instead. x3 And so begins the block of what I call the bittersweet themes.


	72. Memories: General&Angst, G

**Theme:** 072 - Memories; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/angst  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Yami no Yugi/Yugi  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:**If he lost all of his memories again, this is the one that would hurt the most to lose and that he would fight the hardest to hold on to.

* * *

As he looked over at the clock, he realized it had passed midnight, and felt an anxious jolt as he realized what day it now was.

_Today we go to the museum,_ he thought, glancing up at the sky. _And I might…_

"Mou hitori no boku?" A sleepy voice asked, making him jump and turn to see Yugi sitting up in bed, watching him.

"Oh, Aibou. Did I wake you?"

"No, you didn't." He peered closer through the dim light. "Are you okay?"

The spirit carefully considered his reply. "Yes…I just have a lot on my mind."

"I understand." Yugi looked down at the bed covers, his fingers closing on the fabric.

Now it was the spirit staring in concern at his partner. "Are _you _all right?"

Yugi looked up, putting on a smile. "Yeah. I guess I just have a lot on my mind too. Tomorrow's a big deal."

"Today," he corrected.

"What?"

"It's past midnight. So…actually today's a big deal."

Yugi glanced at the clock. "You're right." He sat there quietly for a moment, then looked back at his other self. "Weird, huh? After all this time, it's finally here."

The spirit sighed. "Look, Aibou…can we not talk about this?"

"Oh…okay." Yugi sounded taken-aback. "I'll just go back to bed then."

"No, no." The spirit rushed to explain. "I didn't mean that I don't want to talk to you. I just don't want to talk about _that_."

"Why not?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I just don't. I don't feel like thinking about it right now."

"But you're going to get your memories back! And find out your name…isn't that important to you?"

"I guess."

He was doing a horrible job of hiding his feelings, which was alarming to Yugi in itself. "Mou hitori no boku, what's going on? Why does this bother you so much?"

He struggled to give voice to his fears. "What will happen…if I regain my memories and I forget everything I know now? What if I forget you? What will I do then?"

"No, that won't happen," Yugi snapped, perhaps too aggressively.

"How do you know?"

"Because I'll _make _you remember. I'll tell you about everything you forgot. I'll reintroduce you to our friends. We'll go to all the places we've been together."

The spirit's lips twitched into a tiny smile, but it faded quickly. "What if I refuse to listen to you?"

"Then I'll make you listen. Mou hitori no boku, you won't forget us. I won't let you forget everything."

"You promise?"

Yugi stared back into his eyes. "I promise."

Slowly, the spirit got to his feet, padding over silently, his non-corporeal body making no impression on the bed as he sat down.

"That means a lot, Aibou. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, unable to think of anything better to say.

His other self turned, putting his back partially to Yugi, and sat there quietly for a long time, staring blankly ahead. Finally, he said, "You should go back to sleep. You need rest."

He heard Yugi shifting and felt the bedcovers moving, and assumed he was lying back down. So when he felt something touching his fingers a few minutes later, he jumped and jerked his hand away out of reflex.

"What…?" he started to say, trailing off when he saw that Yugi was now kneeling beside him, one hand still held in the air in surprise, as the spirit's jump had startled him too.

"You're still thinking about forgetting me, aren't you?" Yugi finally asked.

The spirit put his hand back down. "I…"

"Are you going to sit here all night and worry about that?"

"No Aibou, I won't."

It was one of the most transparent lies Yugi had ever heard. He moved as the spirit turned to face him. Softly, he wrapped his hands around the spirit's, pulling his hand to his chest, caressing the ghostly fingers that were too cold, too real to just be a projection.

"It'll be okay," he whispered, staring down at their hands.

"Aibou…?"

"You're not going to forget. I won't let you forget me." He looked up, meeting his eyes. "You _can_'t forget me."

Slowly, sadly, he raised his other hand, running his shaking fingertips over Yugi's cheek. "I want to promise that, Aibou. I really want to."

Leaning closer, Yugi didn't break his gaze. His lips parted, clutching the spirit's hand as he tilted his head, inching forward tentatively, his eyes dropping shut as he felt the spirit tilt his own head and allow their lips to meet.

Neither he, nor the spirit had ever kissed before and it was short-lived and experimental, but Yugi was breathless as they broke apart.

"M…Mou hitori no…"

"Shh," he whispered. "You don't need to say anything. Just help me remember, please…don't let me forget this."

Yugi nodded, still holding his hand as he leaned back in.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes: **Discussion in the middle of the night~ Another one! (This time with snogging!) Every time I think I've had my fill of this tired old plot I prove myself wrong.

This seemed like a very appropriate theme considering I graduate college tomorrow. Granted, there are no big memories of it that I'm sad to lose (I'm actually psyched to be out of it finally. xD) and certainly no ancient spirits hanging out in my room, but the anxiety about what the future might hold is pretty relevant. ^^;


	73. Photograph: General&Serious, G, AU

**Theme:** 073 - Photograph; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/serious  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Yami/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Circumstances and looks may change, but the things that truly matter never do.  
**Disclaimer: **Yugioh is still not mine.  
**Note:** This is a sequel to theme 019 - Scars.

* * *

"What do you think?" Yugi tilted the brochure, appraising the picture of the house. "I like it more than the others. And it's a single-story, much more wheelchair accessible while you recover."

"I don't like the color much."

"We could repaint." He picked up the booklet and held it up for Yami to view. "Maybe blue…or a very light beige. And we could have a few trees planted here, for shade in the summer…" He pointed at the lawn in the picture.

Yami nodded, distracted. "That would look nice."

"So this one's a definite possibility." Yugi uncapped a marker, circling the house and folding the page. As he did, Yami raised one hand to his face.

"Stop that!" Yugi scolded, making him wince. "Yami, scratching will just make it take longer to heal. And stop moving around so much."

"But it _itches_!" he protested.

"It's healing, it's going to itch."

"It's awful. I almost wish I had the raw burns again, at least there were painkillers for those," he growled, flexing his fingers irritably.

"That's why I'm trying to distract you with a nice new home." He held up the sheaf of glossy magazines and brochures. "Eventually the doctors will release you, and we can't go stay in a hotel, you need a safe, stable place to come to. The insurance money is in the bank, and I want to get a payment put down somewhere and start getting it set up."

"I hate that you'll be setting it up alone," Yami said.

"I won't be alone, Jounouchi and Honda have already volunteered to help, and Anzu said she will try to get work off on the moving day–"

"I mean, I hate that I won't be able to help. I won't…be out of here for awhile yet."

"Oh." Yugi shuffled the magazines, subdued. "Yeah, I…I hate that too."

Yami's heart sank at the sight of Yugi's sadness, and he scrambled to cheer him. "But I'll be able to help later. We can go to the store together to pick out new carpet or new tile if you want, and to choose furniture…and decorating, I can help with that, even in a wheelchair. And once I'm fully healed we can paint outside."

Yugi smiled a little. "True. I look forward to that. Speaking of decorating…" He got up, walked over to his backpack, and pulled out a disposable camera. Yami frowned.

"What's the camera for?"

"I want to take a picture of us."

"Why…?" he asked warily

"Because, we lost most of our pictures in the fire. I want new ones," Yugi said.

"Yugi...I don't really want to."

His face fell. "Why not?"

Yami twisted the sheets in one hand. "I've only…seen my reflection a few times since I've been in here, but I know what I look like."

"Yami, how you look doesn't matter. What matters is that you're there in the picture with me. That's what I want."

Yami shook his head slightly. "I know looks don't matter to you, and I'm glad, but…how can you tell me I don't look repulsive? Maybe you don't care if I do, but I've seen myself and there's no reason to lie and pretend like I'm not."

"I don't think you look repulsive." Yugi sat back down beside him, touching his hand. "I think you look…you look brave. You look strong. You were brought here, with everyone saying you would die, and saying you wouldn't make it, but you did. Maybe the burns disfigured you…but they mean you survived." He stroked the back of his hand gently with his thumb. "I'm proud of you, Yami. I'm proud to sit here beside you, I'm proud to be seen with you. No amount of scarring could change that. Now please, let me have a picture."

Yami's lips twitched into a smile he couldn't control, even as it grew wide enough to stretch the healing scars and make his eyes water from the sting.

"Fine, one picture."

Yugi beamed, held the camera out in front of them to fit them both in the viewfinder, and leaned in close beside him. "Ready? Okay, smile!"

He pressed the shutter and took a second shot before Yami could protest. He set the camera on the table, then picked up and fanned out the brochures. "Do you want to keep looking for a house now?"

"No."

"Oh…okay. Should I leave you alone? Are you sleepy?"

"No." Yami shook his head and took Yugi's hand. "Let's just…sit together for awhile, okay?"

Yugi's expression softened, and he pushed the glossy pages onto the floor, wrapping his hand ever so gently back around Yami's.

"Okay."

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** I've been looking forward to this theme for awhile. _Scars_ was one of my favorite themes, so coming back to it and doing a sequel was something I really wanted to do. =3

For some reason I haven't been able to reply to comments the usual way, via a link in the review e-mail I've been sent. I want you guys to know whether I reply or not that I appreciate every review you send and cherish them all. =')


	74. Someday: Angst&Romance, R, AUish

**Theme:** 074 - Someday; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Angst/romance  
**Rating:** R  
**Pairings:** Atemu/Heba  
**Warnings:** AU-ish, slightly-explicit sex  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** He was going to choose the kingdom over Heba - not because he wanted to, but because he _had_ to - but he could not begrudge his lover one last happy memory.  
**Disclaimer: **Yugioh is still not mine.  
**Note:** This is the prequel to _theme 013 - Heaven and Hell._

* * *

"Atemu?"

He turned quickly. "Heba! What are you doing in here? You should be asleep."

Heba didn't answer; instead he stared at Atemu with a quizzical look in his purple eyes. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere."

"It is the middle of the night, and you are fully dressed. You must be going somewhere."

Atemu sighed. "If I tell you, will you promise not to try and stop me?"

His eyes narrowed, and his tone hardened to one that he would have been severely punished for if he had spoken to any other member of the nobility that way. "I will do no such thing until you tell me where you are going."

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, Atemu tried to think of a way to explain. Heba settled beside him as he considered his words and finally spoke slowly, "I am…going to end this war."

"End the war…but…no, you cannot!" Heba stared up at him, realizing what he meant. "It is too dangerous…Zorc is too powerful, if you take him on alone, you will…"

Atemu didn't ask why Heba had not finished his statement. "It is my duty as Pharaoh. If I gathered an army, I would be asking the soldiers to die in my place. I could not live with myself if I did that. If I should die in the fight alone, as long as I take Zorc out of power I will feel I have won by saving all those other lives."

"But what about the kingdom?" he asked, searching desperately for a reason to make him stay. "You have no heirs, who will take your place if something happens?"

"I am confident any of the priests will be a capable successor."

Then the young man asked the question Atemu had been praying he wouldn't ask. "What about me?"

Atemu swallowed. "Your position in the palace is secure. I have discussed it with the other priests, they are aware that if anything should happen to me you are to stay in royal employ. You have no need to worry about your future."

"You know that is not what I was asking."

Of course he knew. Even when he had made up his mind, hours before, about what he should do, he had asked himself the same question. There could only be one answer.

"Heba, weak though people think you are, I know you have a strong spirit. You are not the type to waste away out of grief. You will be okay without me."

"No!" Heba grabbed his arm. "No, Atemu!"

"Heba, please."

"_No_!" He pleaded. "Atemu, I love you, I will never have this with anybody else. Please do not go…"

"Nonsense, you are young. You have a whole life ahead of you for love."

"Not real love, not like this. Nobody else treats me as an equal the way you do. Even people of my status look down on me for being so physically weak. You make me feel happy, you make me feel special and I need you and…Atemu…" his eyes filled with tears. "I do not want to lose you, losing you will hurt too much! I do not want a world without you!"

Atemu took a deep breath, looking away, unable to bear seeing him in tears. "There are many worlds. This is only one. Even if I die…we will see each other again someday."

"I do not want to see you again _someday_, I want to see you now, here, in _this_world."

He set his jaw, hoping his voice was steady. "Somebody has to stop Zorc."

"But why you?" He stared back beseechingly, his hand creeping into Atemu's and gripping his fingers. "You are going to your death, I can tell that you do not expect to survive…why does it have to be you?"

Atemu squeezed his hand back. "A king must be prepared to die for the sake of his people. I have known this my whole life, and I accept my duty."

"No." Heba shook his head, embracing Atemu and burying his face in his chest. "No…"

Sighing softly, Atemu rested his chin in his fluffy hair. He could feel Heba attempting to tug him further onto the bed.

"Atemu, do not…" Pausing in his tugging he pulled back, letting graceful fingers slide over Atemu's cheek. The moon outside the window reflected in his eyes; it and the flecks of light trembled as he leaned closer. "Please do not go."

"Heba, if I had a choice…I would stay here, beside you, forever. You know that…"

"Then stay, you _do_have a choice. You can choose to stay, nobody is forcing you to face Zorc alone." His mouth brushed Atemu's, his tongue pushing and parting his lover's reluctant lips. Atemu's eyes slipped half-closed against his will as Heba deftly pinned his hands to the bed, not allowing him to wriggle away.

After a long moment Atemu forcefully broke the kiss, turning his head away as he panted. But before he could catch his breath Heba had buried his head into the crook of Atemu's neck. Atemu stiffened at the feathery sensation of his warm breath against his damp skin and tried to pull away, but Heba simply placed his full weight against his hands, forcing them down into the mattress and rendering Atemu immobile. His lips teased, caressed, danced across Atemu's jaw line until they found where his jugular vein throbbed under the skin.

Atemu bit his lower lip to force himself not to moan aloud, but he couldn't stop his body from trembling or his breath from exploding between his lips as Heba sucked at his throat, using his tongue to trace the bumps of his neck. He once again felt the young man trying to pull him, and tensed his muscles to stop him. Here, at least, he was superior; he might not be able to free himself from Heba's full weight, but he knew his muscle strength was greater, if nothing else he could prevent an even more compromising situation as he tried to think of a way out of this one.

Until his muscles acted of their own accord and went slack.

_What am I doing?_

But his body was now ignoring everything his mind was screaming at himself, and Heba had tugged him to the middle of the bed and lowered him down upon it. He had released his neck and was now nuzzling his chest, pulling Atemu's tunic from his belt. It took Atemu a few moments to realize his hands were free; by the time he did, Heba had nosed his shirt up and was stroking his chest, kissing his sternum, his fingers finding and rubbing his hardened nipples. Heba pressed his body down upon his, moving his hips against his partner's just enough to make him gasp and to find proof of arousal that Atemu couldn't hide.

His lip was now bleeding and bruised with teeth marks, but no matter how hard he bit down he could no longer prevent the low whine that fought its way out as his back arched and fingers gripped the bed. "H-Heba…"

_I must tell him no, to stop…I should shove him away if I have to._

He did none of those things. Instead his hands found Heba's shoulders and rolled him onto his side, causing their legs to intertwine. At last he saw Heba's face, flushed and red, a glint of metallic purple visible through his half-closed eyes. He tried to swallow – his mouth had gone dry many moments before. Heba's hands were still upon his chest, his fingers sliding even more easily now that his skin had grown slick with sweat, groping for all of Atemu's most sensitive places, knowing each and every spot that would guarantee a moan of pleasure. One of Atemu's hands drifted uncontrollably down Heba's quivering body, tracing the curve of his waist and hip.

His eyes opened and he stared into Atemu's. "Promise me you will stay," he whispered, catching Atemu's hand before it could go any lower. "Atemu, please…"

Heba's strategy had been obvious from the first kiss. Take control of his emotions, weaken his defenses, then demand a promise. Atemu felt a flash of hatred for himself for what he was about to do, but it was the only solution he could think of.

"I will stay," he whispered, pulling his lover's body closer to his, so that Heba was forced to lift his head and thus break eye-contact. He buried his face against Heba's collarbone, praying he would mistake the wetness of his tears for sweat.

He could not begrudge his love one last happy memory. He owed Heba that much.

Later, only after he was certain Heba was asleep, Atemu slipped from his side and re-dressed. Sad eyes fell upon the young man's sleeping form. It was cruel to lie to him, to say he was staying and then to leave like this without saying good-bye, but he knew Heba would never let him go if he woke him. He picked up his cape from where it lay crumpled on the floor beside Heba's tunic and gently shook it out like a blanket over him.

_Maybe someday he will forgive me._

He had never wished more that he wasn't Pharaoh. If he were a normal person he would still be there beside Heba, drifting away to sleep, looking forward to awakening in his lover's arms. But he would never have that freedom…the country _had_to come before his own desires, the thousands of innocent people he could save by taking on Zorc, even if it meant his own death, were more important.

Death did not scare him; it was something else holding him back. Though he would never say it – saying it would only make his task harder – he hated the thought of never seeing his partner again. That was more frightening than any thoughts of death or injury he might face. He had said they would reunite, but who knew when that would be? In the next life? In the afterworld? He had no way of knowing when or if it would ever happen.

"Someday," he promised in a whisper, praying it was true.

He started to reach out to touch Heba's hair one last time, then stopped himself. Turning, he choked down tears and strode from the room without looking back.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes: **Lalala. I can't believe I wrote that. xD Hey-o, fanservice! I was going to post this awhile back, but it was too depressing of a theme to post on any kind of day of celebration.

I'm actually kind of embarrassed/ashamed of this chapter. It's just not the kind of thing I write. It was awkward. ^^; I'm trying to branch out and write situations unlike my usual kind, but this theme, between the sex and use of Heba (I'm not sure how I feel about fanon characters. =/ They can be annoying.) was kind of strange for me.


	75. Poison: Serious, PG, AU

**Theme:** 075 - Poison; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Serious  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairings:** Possible future 'Atemu'/Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** AU, possible trigger for victims of abuse  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** Without Yugi there, he might not have had the strength to walk away. But Yugi _was _there, he had always been there, and he was the only thing left in the world that Atemu could trust.  
**Disclaimer: **Yugioh is still not mine.  
**Note: **This is the sequel to theme 049 - Fighters.

* * *

Kenji found him at Yugi's house the day after the fight. To this day Atemu wasn't sure how he had known where to look – darkly, he suspected it was because Kenji had always been jealous of Yugi. Yugi hadn't wanted to let them talk, but Atemu had been foolish enough to tell him it was okay, to let him say his piece. The sting of the punches was still real in his memory; he'd assumed nothing could tug at his heartstrings, right up until Kenji met his eyes and pleaded, "I'm so sorry Atemu, please, give me another chance."

His eyes were so full of pain and Atemu's "no," which he'd intended to sound tough, came out forced.

"Atemu, please, just listen. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"I said _no_."

"I love you," Kenji said and Atemu winced even now at the memory.

_God, why does it hurt? After what he did to me, why the hell do I feel _anything _for him?_

"You know I didn't mean it," he begged. "I was just scared, the idea of losing you made me freak out. I'll never do it again. I'll do anything to make it up to you, anything you want. I need you, Atemu. I'm not going home without you. I love you and I know you love me. We _belong _together. You can't just give up on us."

Atemu had to break eye contact. "Go home," he managed to choke.

"Not without you. You're all that makes my life worth it. I can't live without you." His voice went softer, weaker. "Atemu, it'll kill me to lose you. I won't make it. If you don't come home I won't survive this–"

Atemu drew in a sharp breath. "Stop," he whispered, lifting his head and stepping forward. "Kenji, don't…"

His lover's voice cracked. "I love you, I need you–"

"Don't–" Atemu managed to stop himself from moving then, but he hadn't been able to stop his tears. Stupid, betraying tears.

"You'll kill me if you don't come home."  
_  
Oh God…no, Kenji, no–_

He hadn't been aware of moving until Yugi caught his arm and stopped him. Dimly he heard Yugi shouting, in a tone he'd never heard from his friend before.  
_  
"Never come near my house or Atemu again, or I swear you'll regret it–"_

Somewhere in there Atemu's knees gave out in emotional exhaustion. The next thing he remembered was Yugi kneeling in front of him.

"I have to go," Atemu said to him, trying to stand. Yugi shook his head.

"No, you don't."

"I have to go back to him, he needs me, he said…"

"Don't go back to him, remember what he did to you."

Atemu was trying to remember, but it wasn't as easy as remembering the hurt in his lover's eyes and the thought that _he _was responsible for putting that hurt there. "But he didn't mean to, he didn't want to–"

"He's just saying that to control you."

"But what if he– what if…"

Yugi closed his hands gently over Atemu's wrists, his grip firm, but gentle enough that Atemu knew he could pull away. "Atemu, he's messing with your head. He won't."

"How do you know?"

"I know." Slowly, carefully, Yugi pulled him to his chest and embraced him. "Don't go back. He doesn't deserve you."

Atemu wanted to pull away anyway. He almost did. If he went back he could just imagine it: they would cry and hold each other and apologize and everything would be okay. This would merely be a small bump on their path, because love could survive anything.

It was a perfect thought.

Someplace, deep down, he knew it would only ever be a thought. It wasn't going to end happily. He had given his heart and body to a man who returned them both broken and bruised, and going back would just be giving him permission to poison him further. He knew it, but he wasn't quite strong enough yet to admit it, so he just said, "Don't let go of me yet."

Yugi hadn't.

**X - X - X**

* * *

**Notes:**Theme 075. Seventy-five! I'm officially 3/4 of the way through this challenge. Oh man, what am I going to write when it's over? (Maybe I'll start a new challenge. xD Although I recall there was some interest in expanding Paranoia into a full length fic.)

I stand by what I said in the notes of 049. Victims are not to be blamed or categorized and are certainly not inherently weak; abusers are _very_good at getting into people's heads and manipulating them.

I wish I had a better fic for the 3/4 mark. I kind of like this one, but it feels like it fell a little flat. I knew what story I wanted to tell, but it just didn't translate to paper as well as I'd hoped. I've been feeling very critical of a lot of the recent themes in this. I really am excited for some of the future ones, though, so I suspect I just hit a rough patch in here.


	76. Offbalance: Fluff, G, AU

**Theme:** 076 - Off-balance; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Fluff  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Implied Yami/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** He was too shy to outright confess his feelings, so Yugi would take any excuse he could to be close to Yami - no matter how silly.

* * *

"The festival was great again, wasn't it?" Yugi asked as he and Yami walked down the road.

"It always is."

"I think it was better this year."

"You said the same thing last year," Yami reminded him.

"Well then, at this rate it'll only get better."

"You do have a point there."

Glancing over at him, Yugi yawned. "It must be getting near midnight by now…this evening went by so fast."

"The Game Shop isn't too far away. I don't suppose your family will mind me sleeping on the couch again? I don't feel like walking all the way home tonight."

"You do after every festival, it shouldn't be a problem." Yugi grinned, then yawned again and as he did he stumbled.

"Yugi!" Yami caught his arm, pulling him back upright. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just so tired."

"Well, it was a long day."

"Yeah." Yugi nodded and was silent until only a few moments later when he tripped again, flailing to regain his balance.

"Sorry Yami, it'll take forever for us to get to the Game Shop at the rate I'm going."

"You do this every time," Yami said, frowning. "You wear yourself out so much at festivals that you can barely make it home. I don't get it, you don't do anything more strenuous than the rest of us, and yet all your other friends make it home just fine. What makes you get so sleepy?"

"I don't know. But I'll be fine, Yami, really. Let's just keep walking."

Yami, who could recall having this exact conversation several times in this year alone, didn't answer. But he was ready when Yugi stumbled again exactly five minutes later, catching him with both hands as Yugi said sheepishly, "I'm sorry."

"All right, hold still." Yami let go of him, stood him upright and carefully put one arm around his shoulders. He reached down to slip his other arm under his knees, and scooped him into the air.

"Yami?"

"You said it yourself, we'll never make it to the Game Shop at this rate, and if you keep stumbling you might get hurt," Yami said, his cheeks flushing red as he began walking. "I'll just carry you the rest of the way, it isn't far."

Yugi smiled and rested his head against his shoulder, his eyes closing. "Thank you, Yami."

Yami didn't answer, though he could feel his blush deepen. When he'd bent down to pick Yugi up, his yukata – already loose after dancing for hours at the festival – had slipped down on one shoulder. That was now the shoulder Yugi had leaned his head against, and it felt…_too _good, really, the feeling of Yugi's hair against his bare skin. The way Yugi's feathery soft breath both warmed and cooled the same spot on his neck as he breathed. Much, much too good.

He tried to distract himself with other thoughts. Every single time they went out together it worked out this way. Yugi, for some reason, always ended up exhausted. Yami would always end up carrying him, and Yugi never seemed to argue how embarrassing it would be to be carried. It would be this way at the next festival, too. He gazed down at Yugi, who was curled against him. A tiny voice in the back of his mind piped up that he didn't mind carrying him home. Yami shoved the thought away, tore his gaze from Yugi, and stared determinedly into the distance.

Moments later, Yugi peeked up at Yami, (who was still staring resolutely ahead), grinned to himself and closed his eyes again, snuggling closer under the guise of shifting his weight, letting himself nuzzle the nape of Yami's neck for a moment. Yami would mistake the feeling for a stray lock of hair brushing him; he always did.

It probably wasn't fair, to trick him into this when Yugi's ulterior motive was something rather selfish. But it felt nice to spend those few moments in Yami's arms.

Too nice to allow morals to get in the way.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:**It's been awhile since I posted! I've been too busy for my own good, blarg. Supercon was le awesome, but I've been working steadily ever since to earn back the money I spent.

After all those angst fics it's about time for some pointless fluff, eh? xD This theme is nothing but silly fluff without a point. I enjoy those sometimes. And the next theme is a sequel to two of the most popular previous themes, so look forward to that!


	77. Breath mints: General, PG, AU

**Theme:** 077 - Breath mints; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairings:** Implied Yami/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU, discussion of prostitution  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:** If there was one face from his past Yami hadn't expected to see, it was Yugi's. Especially not under these circumstances.  
**Notes:** This is the sequel to theme 059 - Umbrella and theme 038 - Wishing fountain.

* * *

A black sedan with darkly tinted windows circled the block twice before slowing down beside the fountain. The driver's window rolled down. Yami, who had been watching the vehicle on the last two pass-bys, sauntered over.

The driver, wearing a crisp chauffer's uniform, addressed him before he could speak. "Are you Yami Atemu?"

Yami frowned. A few regulars recognized and asked for him by name, but never a stranger. "Yes."

"Very well, please get in. My employer desires your company." There was the click of doors unlocking.

Doing his best to remain nonplussed, Yami opened the back door and slid inside, looking around with approval. The back of the sedan was roomy and comfortable. The driver pulled forward, paying no attention to his passenger, but Yami kept one hand near his messenger bag anyway, within reach of an outside pocket containing a well-sharpened knife. Just because he routinely accepted rides from strangers as part of his job, that didn't mean he had to be an idiot about it.

He fished in his bag with his free hand for a box of mints, popping one in his mouth and wondering who the driver's mysterious boss was. Clearly someone who valued anonymity. The sedan rolled through town to a strip of upscale hotels, pulling up at one of the most exclusive. A private driver, a fancy hotel…Yami mentally upped his price. The rich rarely wanted a quick fix of pleasure. If he played his cards right, he could make a full night's pay off one job.

The driver led him into the lobby and into an elevator up to the top floor. He paused outside a suite to whip out a key card, open the door and say, "My employer awaits you inside."

"Thanks," Yami said, walking in.

As he stepped into the suite, he heard a familiar voice call hello. For a moment Yami paused, struggling to place it, before he rounded a corner and saw the man sitting by the writing desk.

"Yugi Mutou?" he asked, jaw dropping.

Yugi smiled. "You remember me."

It was one of the very few times Yami had ever found himself at a loss for words in the presence of a client.

_Now_the secrecy made sense.

"Need a drink?" Yugi asked, seeing him going pale.

"Might be nice," Yami admitted.

Yugi poured two glasses from a bottle in an ice bucket and held one out. He lifted the glass in a quiet toast and took a sip. Yami took a rather larger sip of his own.

"I take it you weren't expecting me," Yugi finally said. His eyes drifted down. "Interesting outfit. I assume that's what you had on under that raincoat you kept so tightly clenched to yourself."

Yami's face grew hot. He gulped down the rest of his drink, fortifying himself. "Listen…I'm sorry about what happened," he said. "I didn't know there was a photographer–"

"Don't worry. I didn't think you had done it on purpose."

"I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble."

Yugi shrugged and set down his glass. "Well, my reputation took quite a hit, my mother nearly had a stroke and I found myself forced to come out before I was quite ready, but otherwise no harm done."

"Out?" Yami repeated. "So you are…?"

"I knew it would happen eventually," he said. "But I'd planned to choose the time I came out of the closet, not have it forced upon me in full, front-page color."

"I'm really sorry, honest."

"I know." Yugi smiled, and it held no malice. "Don't look so worried, I didn't ask for this meeting to get revenge, I promise."

Yami gave a small laugh and started to relax. So it wasn't some sort of revenge set-up. Perhaps Yugi was just looking for company after all and who better than someone he recognized? And on the bright side, he _was_awfully cute.

"I can still make it up to you," Yami said, lowering the price again in his mind back to a normal rate. Kyoko would have killed him for wimping out on an obviously rich customer, but as nice as the money would be, he felt he owed Yugi something for the trouble he'd caused.

"Just what I was hoping." Yugi stood and stretched, then picked up the bottle and asked, "Refresh your drink for you?"

Yami held out his glass and this time he lifted his in a toast back to Yugi. He could feel the alcohol loosening him up. Yugi sipped his own drink politely for a moment before setting the glass down and saying, "I might as well come clean about why I had you brought here. I'm afraid I've duped you a bit. I have no need of your service tonight, as satisfying as I'm sure it is." His eyes lingered on Yami's leather clothes, twinkling slightly. "I just wanted to talk to you one-on-one, without a lot of people around, and figured this was easier than having a conversation with you through a car window. I was wondering if you were available tomorrow afternoon."

Yami's heart sank a little. Back out into the cold then, probably to spend the night with someone far cheaper and far less attractive, he thought glumly. He shuffled through his plans. "I suppose. I have a shift at the restaurant in the morning, but I'm off by three. What do you have in mind?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner."

"Oh, an escort event," Yami said, feeling both relieved and confused. He liked being an escort, it was ridiculously easy and there was often good food. In his experience it was awfully unusual for men to take male escorts to events though, even if they were gay.

Yugi choked on his drink and started laughing. Yami, disgruntled, frowned at him. "What?"

"I'm not…I'm not asking you to go to an event," Yugi said, getting his breath back, his cheeks flushed from laughter. "I'm asking you out on a date."

"…A date."

"Yes. I was thinking an early dinner, maybe a show."

Yami shrugged. "It's the same rate, event or private." Again Yugi started holding back laughter and Yami began wondering if this was all some sort of joke after all.

"Yami, I'm not asking you on a date I have to pay for."

"Well I don't work for free," he said, feeling almost disappointed now. There were always the sleazes who tried asking him out in hopes of free sex, but he'd thought that Yugi was above that.

"I'm not asking you to work, either," Yugi said.

Yami blinked. "You're just…asking me out?"

"Now you're catching on."

"I mean it. This has nothing to do with my job? This isn't some sort of ploy?"

Yugi shook his head. "Nothing at all. Just dinner, maybe a play if you like the theatre."

"But why?" Yami asked blankly.

"Because I had a good time talking to you last time I was here. And I've figured out by now the reason you took off was because you were afraid of hurting my reputation. I appreciated that." Yugi smiled again. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but Yami couldn't help noticing it was really a gorgeous smile.

"I had a good time talking to you, too," he said, for lack of anything better.

"Good, then chances are another mutually satisfying conversation could take place," Yugi said, chuckling. "How about it? You can pick the restaurant. I don't know many around here."

Yami remained silent as he turned over his options. He hadn't accepted a date in months. There was no point, there was only one reason someone would ask a streetwalker on a normal date and while Yami might've sold his soul, he still had some damn _pride_.

It was his wish. Yami stared down at his glass. The same wish he'd made, over and over. A chance, just one tiny little chance, he always said that's all he was asking of the universe.

This could be it. Maybe the universe had finally listened and presented a chance to him after all, wrapped in a smile and the kind of laugh that made his heart pound. Or maybe he was still a sentimental fool even after all these years.

_Sentimental fool it is._

"There's a really good place down the road," he said. "It's called L'Osier. How about five-thirty?"

Yugi's smile broadened. "Sounds great, I'll make the reservations. If you want to leave your address with the driver when you leave, he'll pick you up. He'll also drive you back to where he picked you up tonight. I interrupted your evening to bring you here, it's only fair I make sure you have a ride back."

"I'd appreciate that. Thanks for the drinks."

"You're welcome."

Yami smiled a little, picked up his bag and headed for the door. His mind was reeling over what had just happened.

"Oh, hey," Yugi called after him. Yami stopped.

"Hmn?"

"I almost forgot to ask. Did your wish ever come true? The one you made when we switched coins?"

Yami smiled wider and ducked toward the door to hide it. "I don't know yet, but…maybe."

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** There actually is a restaurant in Japan called L'Osier. I know nothing about it, but it got good reviews on a website. xD

What is this? An update? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS. I'm sorry again for the delay in updates! It's been a month since I posted and for that I apologize. Turns out working two jobs kind of sucks. Plus I've been really distracted by new fanfiction projects. But I will surely see this challenge through! I'm actually very fond of this theme. x3 I love revisiting this 'verse.


	78. Office supplies: Humor, PG13, AU

Theme: 078 - Office supplies; for 100_chances  
Genre: Humor  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairings: 'Atemu'/Yugi  
Warnings: AU  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: You get caught with your lover _one time_, and nobody ever lets you forget it.

* * *

Yugi sighed and turned to Atemu. "Are we seriously out of paper clips? I can't find them anywhere." He rummaged around on the next shelf, shaking boxes in frustration. "I swear I bought a whole new case…"

Atemu looked up from where he was searching a lower shelf beside him. "Sara might have taken them, I think she robs the supply room at night and hoards stuff."

"I'll have to have a talk with her…"

"Hey, who's in here?" A new voice joined them and they turned around to see Mitch staring at them. His eyes widened behind his glasses.

"Oh, it's you two." He backed away. "Sorry, I'll leave, I didn't know it was you."

"Mitch–" Yugi began.

"Just tell me when you're finished."

"Mitch!"

He was shielding his eyes now. "Should I lock the door for you on the way out? Because I think you forgot to. _Again_."

"Mitch!" Atemu snapped, his deeper voice finally getting the man's attention. "You don't need to lock the door. Yugi was looking for paper clips so I stopped to help him look. Don't jump to conclusions."

"Hey, I was just being careful," Mitch protested. "I never know what you two are going to be up to when you're alone in a room."

"That was _one time_," Atemu said, his face reddening.

"One time was enough to scar me for life."

"Serves you right for coming into my private office," Yugi said, just as red, though not sounding particularly sorry. "After hours, I might add."

Mitch scowled. "I told you, I'd forgotten a file and came back to get it, and I heard noises. I thought there might be a burglar."

"Because burglars normally close the door to the office they're burgling?" Yugi asked.

"They do if they don't want to be seen! I was trying to do you a favor! I thought, 'hey, it would be really bad if the manager's office was robbed, maybe I should check on things for him.'"

"Couldn't you have just...I don't know, have listened at the door long enough to know it couldn't be a burglar?" Atemu asked. "Burglars don't usually…er, make those kind of noises."

"I didn't think I had to stop and listen, because I didn't think I was going to see–" He struggled for a moment for the right words. "…what I saw! Guys, seriously, you've both got houses. What, you just couldn't wait? On the desk of all places!" A vaguely nauseous look crossed his face. "For God's sake, I've seen you eat off that desk since then!"

"…It's been washed," Atemu said blankly, not knowing how else to answer. Mitch covered his ears.

"I don't want to hear this! Look, go ahead and finish up in here, I can live without post-its for now." Before Yugi or Atemu could answer, he had left.

Atemu glanced at Yugi. "But we weren't doing anything to finish up."

A slow smile spread across Yugi's lips, betraying his blush. "We could start something to finish."

Atemu smiled back as he felt Yugi pressing him back against the wall and he entwined their hands. "No complaints here."

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Commence immature giggling. /o/

Today's my nine-year Yugioh anniversary. I lol'd when I realized this dopey theme was the one I'd be posting for it. xDD Of all the themes. It's the obligatory office relationship one. I am so ashamed. .

I know there are company dating laws and such, so in this case Atemu doesn't work at Yugi's company, he just stops in to visit and was helping Yugi search as a courtesy.


	79. Outdoors: General&Serious, G, AU

**Theme:** 079 - Outdoors; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** General/serious  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** 'Atemu'/Yugi  
**Warnings:** AU  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:**The years change many things, but some remain untouched.

* * *

"Daddy!"

Atemu lifted his arms and looked down at the boy gripping his leg. "Excuse me?"

At the sound of his voice, the boy let go and sprang back, head bowed as he trembled slightly, saying in a tentatively polite voice, "Oh. I'm– I'm sorry mister."

Atemu looked around in concern at the crowd, but no parents emerged to claim him. He looked back down at the boy helplessly. He'd never been much good with kids. "Um…do you need help?"

The boy looked up at him and Atemu felt his breath catch in his throat.

He had purple eyes, wide and innocent. The sight of them, so familiar, yet on the face of this unknown child, shocked him to his core.

_He has his eyes. But…how…?_

"Renju!" A frantic voice rose above the buzz of conversation in the outdoor square. Atemu's heart leaped to join his stalled breath as a man came hurrying through the crowd, relief crossing his face as the boy turned and ran toward him.

"Daddy!"

"Renju, how many times have I told you not to wander off?"

The boy seemed not to care that he was in trouble, tugging at his father's arm. "Daddy, you have a clone!"

The man laughed. "That was in a movie, there are no clones in real life."

"But Daddy! _Look!_" The boy insisted, pointing.

"Renju, it's rude to point…"

Every sensible fiber of Atemu's body was telling him he needed to leave, _now_. Instead, he was rooted where he was, captivated by the sound of a voice from a long-ago memory, and couldn't move as the man straightened up and they met gazes.

Yugi broke the silence first. "Atemu! I didn't know you were back!"

"Just got in yesterday," Atemu replied, startled at how calm his own voice sounded.

Too calm. Painfully calm.

Yugi must have noticed, but his voice didn't waver when he replied, "Just to visit, or are you moving back?"

"I don't know yet. I'm thinking about moving back."

"Oh, that sounds nice."

_Nice?_Atemu swallowed, hating the formal small-talk. Ever so polite, Yugi hadn't so much as insinuated they were anything other than old acquaintances, chatting pleasantly.

That was what hurt the most. They weren't just old schoolmates or co-workers, they were more, and the polite smile wasn't reaching Yugi's eyes.

They had been so much more, so much closer than most knew. Atemu knew every inch of Yugi, of his body, of his heart, of his soul, and Yugi knew him just as intimately. There wasn't a secret Atemu held that Yugi didn't know about, up until six years ago anyway. And in truth, not much had happened to Atemu in the interim to make much of a difference.

It had been a kind break-up, at least. An honest one. One person had wanted space, and the other had respected that. Respected it to the point that he crossed an ocean to get away.

Apparently the space Yugi had wanted so badly had done him good, Atemu couldn't help thinking as his gaze drifted to the boy, who was now engrossed in watching a bird begging for scraps from patrons of a nearby outdoor diner.

Atemu had never wanted to be "that man." That man who fell in love once and then pined for the rest of his life, never able to undo that love. But sometimes things didn't go the way people planned, and it shot pain like lightning through his body, the thought of someone else knowing Yugi the way he had.

"Oh…I'm sorry I didn't introduce you sooner, this is Renju," Yugi said, after the long, uncomfortable pause. "My son."

Atemu managed to nod. "I figured…the eyes." He hesitated, then bit the bullet. "So who's the lucky lady?"

Yugi smiled. "I don't know."

Atemu felt his jaw drop. He'd heard of women not knowing who their baby's father was, but was it possible for a man to not know? "You…you don't know? But…?"

He laughed a little. "I used a surrogate mother. It was all arranged through an agency."

"But why?" Atemu asked before he could stop himself. "I mean…I know you wanted a family, but…why go through a surrogacy agency?"

Yugi lifted one shoulder and his smile seemed to gentle. "I just never met anyone, and I was getting older. I didn't want to waste any more time."

The painful lightning had been replaced by something else equally as painful, but Atemu wasn't sure what it was. Whatever it was, he couldn't keep it from his eyes, and Yugi saw it.

"Sorry…we should be going," Yugi said quietly, taking Renju's hand. "It was nice seeing you again."

"Yeah…nice," Atemu echoed.

Yugi took a step, stopped, and said, "Would it be all right…if I called you sometime?"

"Of course," Atemu said. At least, it's what he thought he said. His heart was pounding too hard to hear properly. "I have the same cell number."

"All right. I wasn't sure…before…thanks." A smile crossed his lips, and this time it lit the rest of his face. A real smile, one Atemu hadn't seen in years. "Atemu…?"

"Huh?"

"I…hope you decide to move back."

With Renju looking back and forth between Atemu and his father curiously, Yugi walked away, and Atemu remained rooted where he stood, frozen even in the hot summer sun.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** I WILL FINISH THIS CHALLENGE.

Happy birthday Kaoru! I know you rather like adult-Yugi AUs, so it seemed fitting that this would be posted today. ^^


	80. In the moonlight: Angst&Introspective, G

**Theme:** 080 - In the moonlight; for 100_chances  
**Genre:** Angst/introspective  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings:** Atemu/Yugi implied  
**Warnings:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Summary:**Someday, Yugi will be glad he's gone, and that hurts him worst of all.

* * *

The ceremonial battle itself is the only thing they've talked about. In the middle of the night, sitting on the bed in the glow of the moonlight, they have discussed it countless times, as if the sting might fade if they talk about it enough. What will happen, when it will happen, what it will be like. But in all that time, as the weeks turned to days and the days turned to hours, neither of them spoke a single word about what will happen after it.

Yugi will live without him. That's what will happen.

Of course, Atemu thinks as he sits awake at night, he _wants_ Yugi to survive the loss. To desire anything else would be dishonorable, immature, wrong. Yet it still hurts, knowing they have no time left; because Yugi _will _win the final battle when the sun arises. Atemu has known that from the beginning.

And when he is gone, Yugi will keep living.

He'll keep smiling.

He'll keep laughing.

He'll fall in love.

He'll grow up and graduate and have a career and a family.

He'll move on.

And Atemu wonders if someday Yugi will look back on their time as just another scene from his life. Nothing special, nothing important. Just a long-ago memory among hundreds of others.

He wonders if Yugi will forget him. If someday his partner will be able to go for days or weeks or even months without thinking about him. If the memories that feel so razor sharp now will someday blur in Yugi's mind, into things that resemble dreams more than reality, until he believes that maybe they never really happened at all.

Fifty years from now, will he even care about that strange puzzle? Will he still mourn a man who was already dead when he met him? Will he ever think _I miss you_ or will he be happy, deep down, that those surreal days are nothing but memories now?

And it terrifies Atemu, to face the truth. To face that this world, this world that is not his, will go on without him. And that Yugi, who is also not his, will not be irreparably wounded by his loss.

Everything he knows, everything he loves, doesn't need him. Just as it did three thousand years before, his death will be quiet and unrecorded, his legacy lost again, this time forever. Someday even Yugi will think of him as nothing more than a memory.

Someday, when he realizes all the things in life he wouldn't have had if he were still playing host to a spirit, Yugi will be glad he's gone.

That hurts him worst of all.

X - X - X

* * *

**Notes:** Yay, leap-year post!

I wanted to write something very solemn and numb for this theme. I know the whole Yami's-thoughts-before-the-ceremonial-battle theme has been done to death (by me as well), I still wanted to attack it from another, quieter angle. I hope you liked it!


End file.
